Choose Me Or Your Pyre
by candy4yourEYEZ
Summary: Lovina is a gypsy, Antonio is her captor. He shouldn't be attracted to someone like her, she belongs in a dungeon, not in his bed... fem!Romano/LovinoxSpain
1. Prologue

He saw her. In his mind's eye, in the flickering flames of the torches in his mansion, in the shadows cast by the statues and the curtains, he saw her. Dancing, passionate, swaying her hips, moving her body in a way that should be- that _was_- illegal. Yelling, screaming, shaking her fists, cursing him and to hell and back in Italian, angry tears running down her face as her father burnt. Swearing in language that even a Gypsy girl shouldn't use, promising that he would burn, oh yes, he would burn for what he had done.

So different than her younger sister, the one who sang while Lovina danced. That one had cried, cried like so many others as their loved ones were lost to the inferno. But it wasn't the little sister's angelic face he saw when he looked through a window at the people in the town below. Hers was the face that made so man stop and toss coins at them, but it wasn't the one that occupied his every waking moment. It was the darker face, surrounded by a mass of curling raven hair, golden eyes promising all the torments of Hell to him, that enticed him, that disgusted him, that challenged him.

How could he, Antonio Fernandez Carriedo, one who carried out the verdicts of the Church, be so **weak **as to want her? Lovina, who had bit and kicked and scratched at the guards, trying to save her father, who was beyond all help. He wasn't supposed to crave things like this, lust after a common Gypsy girl, a dirty Gypsy girl. It was wrong, and he knew it, but…

It was she! She was a witch, that Gypsy girl, who had cursed him to want her like this, her with her sly eyes and dangerous smile and taunting words… he had to have her. He had to. But she would have no reason to stay, not now, her father was dead… He could charge her with a crime of her own, and offer her his proposition instead of the death penalty…

But no, the stubborn woman would probably choose death. Well, he would just have to find something she valued then, something she would do anything for… Wait- brown eyes, auburn hair- her sister! That was it. Antonio grinned maliciously, planning it out. He would arrest the sister, then Lovina would come to beg, to get her sibling out of jail, away from death. And he would give her a choice, to be his and_ his_ alone, or to have her sister's death weighing on her head. Not much of a choice, really, but one that he knew she would accept. She had to.

After all, it had been a long while since Antonio had had a real challenge.

* * *

Authoress' Random Ramble

This is inspired from this: http : / www . fanfiction . net /s/5979585 /18/ La_Principessa_y_el_Matador

and yes, I asked the authoress and got permission to use this idea ^^

if you have any suggestions for other characters and who they should be in my little semi-AU here, please review and tell me :D

less than three. less than three


	2. The Deal

The next day, Felicia was arrested. As expected, Lovina came to Antonio's house, - it was no secret that Antonio was the one supposed to cleanse the town of all the impure ones, the Romani people among them- hammering at the huge wooden doors, screaming at the top of her voice for the bastard, the one who would most definitely not be in Heaven after he died, the owner of the house, Antonio- oh, how lovely, how dirty his name sounded, rolling off her tongue- to let her sister go, Felicia hadn't done anything wrong.

On the contrary, Felicia simply living was doing something wrong, Antonio wanted to reply. But he didn't, because then Lovina was also responsible for that unintended sin. Instead, he ordered one of his servants to open the door and lead her into a small room that he used to keep track of the 'cleansing,' listing those that had died, been rounded up and put in work camps, taken to the army, etc. He could hear her yelling from the minute the servant opened the door, and he had to restrain himself from gasping as she was led into the room.

Her tan face was flushed with anger, her dark hair whipping about as she screamed at him, her golden eyes full of one emotion. Hate. Antonio leant back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the wooden desk in front of him, waiting for Lovina to stop her tirade.

"Lovina Vargas," he said, imbuing as much weight into the syllables as he could. "You may leave us," he flicked a wrist dismissively at the servant.

"B-but what if she tried to hurt you-" the servant started; only to be hushed by Antonio's icy cold glare.

"I think I can handle one little Gypsy girl," Antonio smiled dangerously, and the servant left. "Now, Lovina…" He turned towards the woman, who was clenching her fists like she wanted to strangle him, but knew if she did, something bad would happen to her. And then there would be no one left to save Felicia.

"Let Felicia go," Lovina hissed, saving Antonio the trouble of easing up to the topic. "She never did anything. Neither did my father, but you will not burn Felicia like you did him, you bastard."

"Now," Antonio's voice was quiet, almost a purr, but a purr with a core of steel. "Is that any way to be talking to the man who has a proposition to make to you?" A hint of confusion showed in Lovina's eyes, but then she blinked and it was gone. "I have an offer. A way out that you can take, where your sister stays alive."

"… I'm listening, bastard…" Lovina looked suspicious, well, she had a right to be. She didn't like how this was going, not at all. This jackass killed her father, imprisoned her sister, and now he has an offer to save the last thing she cared about? It was all too convenient.

"What did I say about language? Really, a woman, even a Gypsy woman, should have a cleaner mouth." Antonio reveled in the look of disgust on Lovina's face. "Now, I have a deal. Right now, Felicia is locked in a room in this house. I have two choices, when morning comes. Either I can send her to the stake like your dear father," he paused to smile at Lovina's snarl, "or I can make a present of her, as a maid, to a foreign courtesan in need of a translator. You need not worry," he interpreted the scowl on her face correctly, "Ludwig is much too moral to take advantage of your sister, even though Gypsy as she is, she's probably a whore anyway."

"Bastard!" Lovina whipped her hand out to smack Antonio across the face, but he caught it not two inches away from his cheek. He moved his hand up to grasp her wrist, but she yanked it away as he attempted to pull her closer.

"That's not very nice, now, is it? I offer you help, and you try to hit me. Maybe I should rescind my offer." Antonio grinned, this woman really was exciting. For once, someone who could match him! But… she was bad, he wasn't supposed to want her, to want this!

"You never told me what my part of the deal is. I'm not so fucking dumb as to think that Felicia gets off free and the same good fortune befalls me. You want something. What is it?" Lovina's sharp eyes peered into Antonio's cold emerald ones, searching for a hint of the truth.

"Well…" Antonio thought of a way he could phrase it, a way that wouldn't make him feel so… sinful. "You have something I want," he ran his eyes appreciatively over her curves, outlined by her flowing navy shirt and deep burgundy skirt. A cream sash made her hips look even wider then they were, and the small bells she wore that chimed when she danced just added to the attraction.

"You want me to whore for you." Lovina's voice was flat, emotionless. She had not missed the way Antonio looked at her; lust, want, wonder, yet mixed with hate and disgust. The same way the men at the market looked at her when she danced, the same way that anyone who wasn't of her people saw her.

"To put it crudely," Antonio was mentally hitting himself- no, this was _wrong,_ so wrong, he shouldn't be doing this, so, so wrong- over what he was doing. It went against all he was supposed to be, all he believed in. "You have a choice, however." A brief flash of hope flickered across Lovina's face, before she masked it with a scowl. "Choose me or your pyre," Antonio's smile was something to be feared. "Be mine… Or you will burn."

* * *

Authoress' Random Ramble

Yay! I've been getting so many favorites and story alerts already!

Ok, so, I don't want to offend anyone. So… If Antonio is calling her a 'dirty Gypsy' that's just how he thinks, NOT HOW I THINK. Yes, they did not speak English in Spain way back when. I know that :D It's just that I can't write this all in Spanish, so… Yeah… If this was real, they'd be speaking Spanish. The only words I will use in a different language are Italian.

Less than three. Less than three.


	3. Meet Your Maid

"You're a sick, twisted, bastard," Lovina spat out, balling her fists as if to hit him. "So, either I have to be the whore you think I am, or my sister and I both die. For someone so convinced about helping the Church, you sure are killing a lot of people in the process." If looks could kill, Antonio would have been dead many times over from the glare she was giving him. She had taken all her hatred at the way people treated her and others like her, and directed it towards this one man, the one she now despised above all others. Antonio Fernandez Carriedo was **unforgivable** in Lovina's mind, he was a bastard better off dead.

"They are not real people," Antonio tried in vain to slow the pounding of his heart, this lust he was feeling was _wrong_, was _unholy_, was not supposed to affect him! It wasn't him that was affected, though, right? The Gypsy girl, the witch, had cast her spell on him, used her _magic_. "But your choice is simple, Lovina. You will either be mine, or you will be dead, and then no one can have you." She was the devil, Antonio reasoned, the devil personified in curves, and in silk and fire, and dangling golden jewelry that chimed and sang to him. Put there to tempt him; to lead him to sin. It wasn't his fault, surely, if God had made the devil stronger than any man could be!

"They **are** real people." Lovina's voice was quiet, but still illuminated with her burning hatred for the man saying such vile things about her family. "They are my people." Her golden eyes burned into Antonio's, resolve strengthening them. "I will accept your offer, if only to spare my sister, but, keep in mind, bastard, that I am

not _yours_. I am not yours, nor anyone else's besides myself."

"Smart decision, gypsy." Antonio's smile was feral, he stood up and grabbed her arm. Lovina flinched, but didn't wrench her arm away. She couldn't, she had to be strong for her darling Felicia. Really, the loyalty these Gypsies exhibited was almost admirable. Almost, considering they weren't deserving of his admiration. "I'll show you where your room is."

"Wait." Lovina did hesitate this time, planting her bare feet firmly on the cold stone floor. "How do I know you won't kill Feli when I'm locked away somewhere? Or that you haven't killed her already? And why do you think Feli can translate the language of wherever this bastard is from?" Damn, the gypsy was smart. Antonio cursed inwardly, but kept his cold smile on the outside. This meant he might actually have to follow through on giving Felicia as a translator to Ludwig. Oh well, it would mean he wouldn't have to pay for a translator for Ludwig, and get rid of the annoyance; two birds with one stone. Three, if you counted it convincing Lovina to stay.

"She's a gypsy like you; she should be able to understand him. You need to speak different languages to lure in your _clients_, no?" Antonio's reaction to Lovina's glare was a further widening of his cruel smile. "He speaks German. And I won't kill your sister, she's too valuable at the moment." He continued dragging Lovina down the hallway, and then up a flight of stairs; he had a special place prepared for her. Antonio led Lovina up the stairs to his chambers, noting with pleasure the look of shock on her face when she saw where they were. He walked over to the wall and shifted a painting of the Virgin Mary, revealing a door behind it. "This is your room," he opened the door to the smaller, hidden area.

"Was this created specially for me, or was it a place for your cowardly ancestors to hide if the village didn't like their decrees?" Lovina's voice was brimming with scorn, and Antonio secretly reveled in it, reveled in the fact that she, this wild, untamable gypsy woman, was _his_ now, unmistakably and undoubtedly _his_. As long as he was going to be tempted, to succumb to her wiles, he might as well do it thoroughly.

"It has been here for a while, presumably being used for the same purpose it has been put to use for now." Antonio chuckled darkly as Lovina's face contorted into a snarl, and she reclaimed her arm and retreated into her new living space. "I shall have a maid come around later with clothing," he informed Lovina through the now closed door, turning the lock. "She shall also bring you meals and help you with other necessities. She shall be the only one to know of your existence, and it will stay that way. Understand?" Antonio heard no sounds of agreement, so he slammed his fist against the door. "Understand?" He repeated, a bit more forcefully this time.

"Yes," came the sullen, muttered acceptance. Antonio almost fancied he heard Lovina repeat it once more to herself, testing out the finality of the word. "_Yes…_"

* * *

Lovina paced her 'room,' searching for any possible way out. Surely that bastard had overlooked something! But, unfortunately, it seemed to be inescapable. A circular stone floor, with walls of the same stone. There was a bed- and a rather large one at that,- a small table, a tiny fireplace with a grate, a chest, and a chamber pot. There was also something that looked like a basin, but huge, and Lovina supposed that the rich people washed themselves in it. She walked over to the chest and opened it, to find… Clothes?

"Were they fucking expecting me or something?" She muttered, holding up a pink dress. "Eww. This is disgusting." She rifled through the rest of the contents, imagining different ways to use them to escape. Plan number one: take the vile pink dress, throw it in Antonio's face when he comes in, and make a break for it. Plan two: take the black dress- no, the black dress was pretty. Alright then, wear the black dress, try to seduce Antonio, then stab him. "With what?" Lovina looked around for anything sharp, but aside from the candelabra (which were high up on the wall), she couldn't see anything. "I'll use my nails," she looked at her elegant nails. "Claw him, then run. The bastard won't know what happened." She tensed as she heard footsteps outside her door; was it Antonio? She readied the dress- "no, he'll be expecting this from me the first day," Lovina put the dress back in the trunk, and stood near the fireplace. If worst came to worst, she could try to grab an ember and throw it at him.

"I'm coming in," a distinctly feminine voice said. Lovina frowned, was this the maid Antonio had mentioned? "You better be decent, because the only people I like seeing naked are men." Lovina winced at her bluntness, and the girl unlocked the door and stepped inside.

But whatever Lovina was expecting, it most certainly was not this. An albino entered her room, red eyes focused on her. The albino's white hair was pulled back into a tight braid, and she maintained eye contact with Lovina as she set down a tray on the table.

"Are you too overwhelmed by my awesomeness to say anything?" The albino grinned, and Lovina scowled in return. "Ah, there's a response. In case you're wondering why I'm not dead yet- I know you are, don't gypsies kill albinos as well?-, it's because Antonio took me in. He was riding through a village when he saw me- my parents had left me by the side of the road to die, and he took me in. He was a child then, but his parents thought that it was a good thing for him to have a servant devoted to him since birth." The albino smirked again, and she motioned towards the tray. "I brought you food, if you're interested in eating."

"I think I'd rather starve," Lovina walked over and sat on the bed. "Than accept food from that bastard."  
_smack!_  
Lovina rubbed her stinging arm, staring in shock at the albino who had slapped her.

"I don't know why you're here, or who you are, but Antonio wants you here, and that's good enough for me. He saved my life, so I don't care what you think about him, but if you speak bad about him in my presence…" She held up a hand threateningly.

Lovina, unexpectedly, smiled. "Even though the person you're loyal to is a self-serving…" she hurriedly changed the term she was going to use when she saw the look on the albino's face. "_Nobleman_, I still respect loyalty to that degree. Lovina," and she held out a hand.

"Gillian," the albino- Gillian shook her offered hand, smiling as well. "I think we're going to get along quite nicely."

* * *

Authoress' Random Ramble

YAY IT'S FEM!PRUSSIA (you'll probably be seeing a lot more genderbended maids ^^)

Sorry for not having this out sooner, my mom made me clean my room. I got 7 full to bursting garbage bags of crap out of there!

And thanks for all the favs/alerts ^^

Less than three. Less than three.


	4. Indifference Is Best

Lovina sat silently on her bed, watching Gillian putter around, chattering about anything and everything: how she should bring in a rug or two to put on the floor, the way the French cook kept trying to grope her, her cute blonde beau- Matthew, his name was,- from the village, as her captive audience sat and listened silently. It wasn't like there was anything better- anything _else_- to do.

"Doesn't it get aggravating?" Lovina interrupted, resenting the maid's normal life with a petulance she didn't fully show. Gillian simply stared at her, clear bafflement written in her ruby eyes. "Working for someone else? Staying in the same place for the rest of your life, knowing the same people, not being able to wander and do what you wish?" Such a life was… Confining, suffocating. Lovina wasn't sure how long she would be able to live in the confines of the tower; she rather fancied that she would end up like a wild animal kept in captivity- withering away until finally escaping to a better place.

Gillian simply smiled and shook her head, chuckling softly. "I guess it's different for you, but this life is perfect for me. I was always shunned because of how I look, so the manor here where everyone accepts me- hell, respects me," Lovina raised an eyebrow at Gillian's casual use of the curse, but chalked it down to another quirk of the albino (besides seeming arrogant and feeling the need to talk on and on until her words seemed to take a life of their own, a life that Lovina never had and never wanted). "A nice life with a man that loves me-" At this, she got the love struck smile on her face that made a treacherous part of Lovina's heart feel envy, as Lovina had loved none but her family. And those she loved tended to be taken from her. "Work that's enjoyable and pays well. Why would I want to run around the countryside when everything I need is right here?"

Lovina pursed her lips and sighed, feeling a ridiculous need to explain the wonders of being constantly in motion, as free as any wild creature to roam and wake up in a different place every morning, not knowing what the day would bring, not having any real earthly attachments to mourn or worry about. She decided against voicing her opinion, reminding herself not to get sympathetic… friendly… _weak_… The people in this dungeon- Lovina refused to call the large building a **manor**, preferring instead to refer to it as the torture chamber it was- were her enemies, citizens that despised her and her people as much as the bastard who had locked her up in the first place. Remembering Antonio, her countenance grew dark as Lovina contemplated the many ways to incapacitate the loathsome man who had locked her up.

"You look like there's a little storm cloud raining over your head," Gillian remarked, staring at Lovina's stony face. When Lovina simply glowered in return, the maid gave up. "I'll be here quite often, cleaning and basically providing company. That is, provided, you actually want company."

"I suppose I could have worse," Lovina chose her words carefully, any affection or dislike she exhibited could- and probably would- be reported to _Antonio,_- she hissed the name in her mind, it was the embodiment of all that she despised. Indifference was the best option. She would be like a statue, giving nothing away, nothing that could be used against her. Antonio had already proven that he was willing to use less moral routes (making an unfair deal and imprisoning Lovina in a secret room, for example) to get what he wanted, and Lovina did not intend to give an inch that he could take.

"Your sister has been asking for you," Gillian changed the subject, and noted the immediate spark of worry and- was that _love_? The maid had thought this cold, violent, (she had gathered from Lovina's very movements and the way she spoke that Lovina was a fighter) woman was incapable of something as giving as love- in the Gypsy's eyes. "She's also refusing to eat." At this, Lovina's eyes practically flashing fire and lightning.

"That stupid, idiotic girl," Lovina spat, "refusing to eat just because of me?" At this she lapsed into Italian, tone changing from furious to cold and calculating. "_Felicia può essere così stupido! Che idiota, non mangiare solo perché è imprigionato! Lei ha da mangiare, e di essere forte così lei può sfuggire. Non credo che una parola bastardo dice Antonio, sta mentendo su come impostare la sua gratis! La ragazza muta pensa probabilmente che faranno ascoltare a lei se lei muore di fame. Lei non si rende conto che non si cura se non si muore! Devo trovare un modo di vederla, io non credo che mi farà uscire proprio ora ..."_

"Lovina?" Gillian sounded annoyed, probably because she had no idea what Lovina was saying, and therefore nothing to inform Antonio about. "I'd appreciate it if you spoke in a language I could understand."

Lovina went silent instantly, but Gillian could almost see her brain working furiously. She decided that bringing up Felicia was a bad idea, and to tell Antonio immediately how Lovina had reacted to the news of her sister refusing sustenance.

"Will…" Gillian noticed Lovina's effort not to use a bad word in reference to Antonio. "Your master be back soon?" Lovina's lips tightened as soon as the last word left her mouth, as if the very idea of the Spaniard was something vile.

"To visit you?" the maid was suspicious as to why Lovina was inquiring about Antonio's whereabouts. "Soon, I suppose," she lied glibly, having no clue what Antonio was doing or where he was. "He comes and goes as he pleases." Another lie. Antonio lived most of his life in his manor, considering it his one and only home.

"Really." Lovina drawled, smoothly and emotionless, giving the air of not believing a word Gillian said. "Because what reason would you have to tell me the truth, when there are so many better reasons to lie to me?"

Gillian opened and closed her mouth several times, obviously attempting to find something to say in response. Lovina simply smirked. Yes, indifference was truly the best policy.

* * *

Authoress' Random Ramble

Translations (yes, I used an online translator ;_; sorry for mistakes. If you know someone who can translate Italian or you can yourself, please drop me a review or a pm ^^)

_Big rant in Italian~~ _Felicia can be so stupid! That idiot, not eating just because she's imprisoned! She has to eat, and be strong so she can escape. I don't believe a word that bastard Antonio says, he's lying about setting her free! The dumb girl probably thinks that they'll listen to her if she starves herself. She doesn't realize that they don't care whether or not she dies! I have to figure out a way to see her; I don't think they'll let me out just yet...

(before I start apologizing, I'd like to thank all of my readers who love/favorite/alert/review this fic, you make my day. It's great to know someone out there likes my writing. Now, onto the fervent pacifications)

I AM SO SO SO SORRY

Words cannot even express how sorry I am for not writing this earlier. But I have an excuse… sort of… See, I was at a family reunion and I forgot to bring my laptop charger ;_; *hits self multiple times* SO SO SORRY. Well, updates will be a bit more frequent now that I'm back. Oh, and this seems like a filler chapter… It sort of is, but it sets the stage for several important events happening in the next chapter(s). WHICH WILL BE LONGER. I PROMISE.

_Also,_ I noticed that some people who like this fanfic either don't like yaoi for religious or personal reasons (hence the reason they're reading genderbent Spamano). Technically, neither should I (I'm Jewish in a conservative family), so I sympathize with the whole not-reading-boyxboy state of mind. I may not empathize, but I sympathize. So, if you want a HETERO hetalia pairing written (genderbent or otherwise), just pm me or leave a review requesting one, and I can write it. It'll probably be a one-shot instead of a chapter story, as I am busy with Choose Me Or Your Pyre, There's Only One Israel (my pet project ^^) and a FrUk college AU which I will be posting soon (Sorry, Emgee, I haven't been working on it like I should ;_;), but if I like the pairing/idea enough it'll be a longer story. Well, sorry for boring you with that long Authoress' Note. Very, very, sorry.

Less than three. Less than three.


	5. Goodbye And A Surprise

When Gillian left Lovina, her mind was swirling. The Gypsy woman had suddenly retreated into herself, the only remarks she made were careful, _guarded_. Apparently the news about Felicia had impacted her, and Gillian wondered if she should tell Antonio about Lovina's reaction, so Antonio could decide whether or not Lovina should be allowed to see her sister. Hopefully she wouldn't have to bring that topic up for a while, as Antonio devoted most of his time to his work.

"Gillian?"

That was sooner than expected.

"What news about Lovina?" Antonio had stopped Gillian in a remote corridor; no one else knew of his captive… yet. Tensions were rising in the nearby village, the townsfolk were blaming the Gypsies for bad crops, sickness, anything that could and did go wrong. The less people that knew about his secret, the better.

"I told her of Felicia," Gillian spoke slowly, wincing internally at Antonio's hiss. "She wasn't pleased by the news. She started talking in Italian, and then she had an odd look on her face… Sire," she belatedly added the honorific, she'd known Antonio for so long that she often forgot it.

"… I wonder…" Antonio speculated, a far-off look in his eyes that meant he was creating a plan. "She might be more open to accepting if we humored her… She did show interest in seeing her sister, yes?" His eyes snapped back to the present, and he stared at Gillian.

"Yes, hence the rant in Italian." Gillian rolled her eyes. "If you are going to let the two of them meet, it will have to be at a time when no others will see… I'm guessing that you don't want Lovina to be seen by anyone else in the castle." Antonio nodded, his eyes unfocusing again as he worked on his plan. "I can probably tell Francis and get him to keep mum about it, but I have doubts about the other servants here." Gillian scoffed at the apparent loose mouthed tendencies of said other servants before poking Antonio in the arm, shuddering slightly when he responded with a frightening smile.

"If we can't bring Lovina to her sister… we'll bring the sister to Lovina."

* * *

Antonio was very annoyed. Very, _very_ annoyed. After he had gotten his update on Lovina, he and Gillian had waited until the night had passed, then gone to get Felicia out of her cell the next morning, for the visit with Lovina.' And the Italian had been sobbing the entire way from the cell to Antonio's room (which was a long way; Antonio's _house _was more of a _mansion_). The idiot was certain she was going to die, or be tortured, or burned like her father and that Antonio was lying about letting her see her sister.

All right, maybe her worries had some base, Antonio concluded angrily, but still, did she have to wail like Judgment Day was here and she was found wanting? He had made the right choice between the sisters, the right choice when he chose a… _a whore_, his mind hissed._ A sin_. Antonio shook his head reflexively to shoo the voice away. He had made his choice -_his sin-_ and had to stay with it. He had to formulate a thorough scheme to keep Lovina, no mistakes could be made or it would all come crashing down around his ears. If just one wrong person were to find out about his Gypsy… He tightened his lips at the thought. No one could find out.

_If no one can find out…_ the voice was back! _Then why are you doing this? Keeping this woman, lusting after her… It's wrong, Antonio. You're making a mistake. You don't love her. You __**can't**__ love her. You said you'd only love me, Antonio-_

"Bella." He whispered, biting his lip afterwards as if to keep the word in.

"… What?" Felicia turned around, stopping her whining to question Antonio. "Why did you say _bella_? You know what thatmeans in Italian, right? Were you saying it about me? No, you were probably talking about Lovi, she's really pretty. I mean, you said you were taking me to see her, but I thought you'd do to me what you did to _Nonno_…" Felicia trailed off, confused by the look on Antonio's face.

"He was talking about a person," Gillian clarified, dragging Felicia down the hall as quickly as possible, "a woman named Bella. Come along now, Antonio, don't just stand there and reminisce." The look the albino sent Antonio was one of compassion, with anger in there as well. Antonio was supposed to have been well over Bella _years_ ago.

The rest of the walk was spent in silence, Felicia mentally musing about Antonio and this 'Bella,' Gillian wishing she'd be able to get time off to visit Matthew, and Antonio comparing Bella with Lovina. Finally, they reached Antonio's room and dragged Felicia inside.

"Lock the door, Gillian," Antonio ordered while searching for the key to Lovina's room. "It would be most unfortunate to have unwanted visitors." Gillian complied, and when Antonio retrieved the key from its hiding place and unlocked the door, the trio found Lovina sleeping on the bed.

"LOVI!" The other Italian almost shrieked, hurling herself on top of her older sibling. Gillian stifled a laugh at the shocked look on Lovina's face before she proceeded to give her sister what seemed like the Italian cussing out of the century.

"Stop," Antonio placed a hand firmly over Lovina's mouth. "If you yell too loud you might wake others, and I would not be pleased." Lovina glared daggers at Antonio- large, rusty daggers, preferably dipped in poison- as Felicia clutched at her sister and sobbed.

Antonio finally removed his hand, and Lovina turned her attention to her crying sister. "What's so heart wrenching that you have to soak my blouse with your wailing," she said affectionately. Gillian exchanged a look of shock with Antonio, or, at least, tried to. Antonio was keeping his face controlled and impassive, not letting his emotions show. But he couldn't hide how he felt from Gillian, who'd known him since childhood ad probably better than any other person alive. She could tell by the look in his eyes, the way he bit his lip, and the way his posture shifted that what he saw was cute to him, endearing. He was fascinated with the fact that his Italian could honestly love another human, put aside her angry façade to console her sister.

"I-I j-just realized, th-that," Felicia hiccupped, "they'll t-take me aw-away from y-you again!" Lovina wiped away a fresh onslaught of tears, smiling and ruffling her sister's hair.

"It's just for a little while," her voice was smooth as she lied, comforting her sister. "You're going to be the translator for a German named Ludwig, and I'm sure you'll have fun. You'll get to travel all over and eat all different types of food, and he's supposed to be very nice." She shot a glare at Antonio- a glare unseen by her sister, who had tucked her head under Lovina's chin and was crying silently. A glare that seemed to say: if you contradict me, I will make your life a living hell.

"He's a good man," Antonio confirmed, still keeping his voice impassive. "He'll seem a bit cold at first, but when he warms up to you, you'll be fine."

"R-really?" Felicia sniffed. "A-alright then…" She took another few minutes to calm herself down, after which she and Lovina resorted to speaking in rapid fire Italian, so the two onlookers couldn't eavesdrop.

Antonio grew impatient after five minutes or so, retreating to his own room to work while Gillian supervised the two sisters. They talked for about an hour, until Antonio walked back in and told the two to say their goodbyes.

"Felicia will be leaving in the morning," he broke the news abruptly, "so this is the last time you two will see each other… for a while," he amended after the glare Lovina shot him.

The girls hugged one last time; a forlorn Lovina was left sitting on her bed as Gillian led Felicia away.

"You really love her, don't you," Antonio said quietly, sitting down next to Lovina.

"She's my sister," Lovina's voice was raspy, and Antonio realized that she might not have been the only sister who felt like crying. "Of course I miss her, you damn idiot."

"That's not nice," Antonio remarked, keeping his voice light. "I let you see her one last time, and the first thing you do is call me a damn idiot. I think I deserve a better reward then that."

"Then what, bastard?" Lovina lifted her head up to glower at Antonio.

"You'd look prettier if you smiled," Antonio observed offhandedly. "And I think I get… _a kiss_," he whispered as he captured Lovina's lips, a stunned look still on her face from the almost compliment.

"W-what- hey! Bastard!" She regained her senses and shoved Antonio away from her, still stunned.

Antonio smirked as he left the room.

"You taste nice."

* * *

Authoress' Random Ramble

Yes, THEY KISSED. And Antonio does have a bit- AHEM A LOT- of history with "Bella" (Belgium). That'll be important. One more hint… Ribbons. Remember 'ribbons.'

Thank you all so much for the reviews/alerts/favs ^^ If you haven't gathered it already; this shall be updated every Monday. Probably. Hopefully. And, if you're reading this, 'Pidge,' thank you for reviewing so many of my fics~

Until next time…

Less than three. Less than three


	6. Sleep Tight

Antonio woke from a restless sleep, the image of Lovina cradling her sobbing sister haunting him. He rose silently, eyes already accustomed to the velvet darkness of midnight, and walked as in a trance to where he was keeping his Gypsy. He swung the portrait, unlocked the lock, and stepped inside, slipping behind the door's shadow. This precaution (he did not want to think of the protests Lovina would rouse the manor with if she woke up with a shadowy figure in front of her bed) let the faintest ray of moonlight in, illuminating the spectacle for Antonio's eyes alone.

Lovina was laying peacefully on her back, hair spread out over the pillow and hands clasped over her stomach, with only the faint rise and fall of her chest to show that she was alive. Part of Antonio thought it cute, but the rest of him disagreed. Lovina was better when she was awake; all fire and movement and hissing and just not being too still and cold like she was now.

Her watcher could not help but remember another woman, but one that slept sprawled out across an entire mattress (and one of a higher quality, at that), tossing and turning and ending up in a completely different position than the original one; blonde hair a rat's nest and nightgown rumpled- no! he mustn't think about _her_, about… _Bella_…

But Bella was different, Antonio reminded himself, she was an apple, conveniently situated on a low branch and ripe for the picking. If she was an apple… Lovina would be a tomato, beautifully colored but hidden beneath the leaves, dangerously close to the ground.

Antonio stepped closer to Lovina, his gypsy, his woman, his… tomato. He almost chuckled at the idea, but it seemed to fit her well. Antonio liked tomatoes. And her face did get very red... like right after he kissed her.

That was what clinched it, the memory of Lovina, flushed, her face only a finger's width away from his own, lips slightly parted and a look of utter shock in her eyes.

Antonio leaned down and kissed her again, and again when she didn't respond. He trailed a hand down her side, tracing her curves under the thin nightgown she wore. He marveled at the fact that she was still asleep, but couldn't decide whether he'd get more enjoyment if she was conscious or not.

But she was his now, damn it! She belonged to him, she didn't have a choice-

Wait

…

Well, this was an issue.

Antonio didn't want her if she wasn't going to enjoy it. It was something beaten into him by Gillian and his mother, that he should never have an unwilling woman.

"I was counting on it all the time," Antonio sat down slowly on the mattress next to Lovina. "I was hoping that you'd be like all the other girls, all those girls who fell in love much to quickly…" He reached down and brushed a single stray lock of hair away from Lovina's calm face. "But you're not weak enough to be swayed that easily, are you?" he continued running a hand through Lovina's hair, the motion was soothing. "So I'll just have to figure out another way to win your heart- because as damned as I am for keeping you here, I'm damned tenfold if I take you without your consent."

Antonio got up and surveyed his sleeping prize once more, a smirk slowly spreading across his face. That mattress was large enough for two, no?

* * *

The first time Lovina woke up, she felt significantly warmer than when she had gone to sleep. But she paid it no mind, quickly escaping back to the realm of dreams. The second time she woke up, she was distinctly aware of someone else's arm looped around her waist, pulling her flush against another body- a man, from the feel of it. Lovina opened her eyes cautiously, and realized her predicament. Antonio- that bastard- had climbed into her bed- really, was his own not good enough?- and was hugging her like she was actually worth something.

Lovina took a deep breath, counting her options while her face turned steadily redder. She could kick Antonio out, either by means of A: pretending to kick/shove in her sleep, B: wake him up and demand that he leave immediately.

The issues with those were ones Lovina knew, and knew well. She couldn't say no, couldn't argue, couldn't protest. She had done this to save Felicia- and that made it all worth it, in her mind.

Lovina sighed, trying to get out of the cage Antonio's arm made was an impossibility. She might as well just go back to sleep-

_No!_ A horrified voice inside her piped up_; What if he's just waiting for you to fall asleep again? What then?_

Then… I'll deal with it when that time comes, Lovina's world-weary mind produced, for a split second, the image of her sitting in the room with a child on her lap and another at her chest, children with dark, curly hair and green eyes-

Eww! Lovina instinctively shuddered at the thought of having children.

Antonio's only response was to pull her tighter against him.

"_Stupid rich boy_," Lovina was aware that muttering did nothing to help, but it made her feel better. "_Can't sleep in your own fucking bed…_" But, despite her rejection of the fact, Antonio was very comfortable. It was almost like his body was a puzzle piece for hers, their edges fitting in just the right ways-

Fuck! No! She shouldn't be thinking these things! This was that goddamn bastard that burned her _nonno_, that gave away Felicia! She couldn't be thinking something as ridiculous as 'he was comfortable.'

Finally, deciding it was much too fucking early to be dealing with the idiotic Spaniard, Lovina heaved one last sigh and fell back asleep in Antonio's arms.

Which was just the way Gillian found them when she came to wake Antonio for the morning.

* * *

Authoress' Random Ramble

… I tried to write fluff for them. And I get this angsty, twisted, 1,002 words of poop that I'm writing at 4 am. Yay.

The little part where Lovina is speaking, but it's in Italics, is her talking to herself in Italian. I just put the italics so it doesn't seem like she speaks Spanish all the time.

I AM SO SO SO SO SORRY (for not updating on the correct day)

I HAD ACRES OF HOMEWORK LAST NIGHT AND THE TIME PERIOD I HAD ALLOTED TO WRITE THIS WAS USED UP WHEN MY MOM MADE ME GO SCHOOL SUPPLY SHOPPING FOR MY LITTLE SISTER ;_;

Less than three. Less than three


	7. Plans and Greetings

"… Well, this is cute." Gillian stood at the entrance to Lovina's room, looking fondly at her old friend, sleeping curled around her new friend. She took a moment to admire the scene, knowing that as soon as she woke one of them up, it would be over. The albino hesitantly walked over to Antonio, gently shaking him awake. "Tonio, you need to stop sleeping!"

Antonio grumbled something into Lovina's hair, until Gillian pulled the sheets away from him.

"Who-" Antonio sat up quickly, outrage on his face, until he recognized the smirking maid standing by the bed, and his expression changed to annoyance instead of outright fury. "Leave. Now."

Gillian raised her almost -invisible eyebrows and proffered Antonio's outfit for the day, and Antonio accepted them with a sigh. Everything would be so much simpler if he could just spend all of his time sleeping with Lovina- a light flush crossed his face at the innuendo, but, luckily, Gillian had left, so there was no one to see. Scowling and muttering about maids with no respect for privacy, and with the audacity to go through his clothes and pick something for him to wear as if he were a child- conveniently forgetting that she did this every morning- Antonio finished dressing. With a final, pensive look at the Gypsy woman still sleeping contentedly, he bent down and pressed a kiss to her cheek. Shaking his head at the feminine gesture, Antonio left to go start a new day.

* * *

Lovina sat up once Antonio left, letting the blush she had tried so hard to restrain cross her face, both at Antonio's kiss and the shock of seeing him changing. "_Fuck…"_ She muttered, cursing herself at this weakness. "I_t's only been two or three fucking days, and I'm already falling apart…"_ Her eyes opened as she realized something, and the Italian hurriedly lifted her nightgown, checking for bruises or stains or other telltale signs. She sighed in relief; Antonio hadn't had his way with her while she slept. "_I guess he's not a total bastard- wait! What the fuck am I saying? He fucking murdered Nonno, and practically sold Felicia, and he's probably killing more of my people while I sit here_!" Lovina clenched her fists in her bed sheets, tearing holes with her fingernails. "_This is it. He's getting to me. I need to get out of here… Felicia left; he can't do anything to her now that she's with that damn German he was talking about…" _ Lovina got up and started pacing around the room, formatting a plan to get out. Either that, or die trying. "_Maybe if I escape, he'll go after me and not everyone else…" _Yes, this was a good idea. Escape, escape, escape. She chanted the word quietly, twisting ideas around in her mind.

The sound of footsteps had started coming closer; it had to be either Antonio or Gillian… Gillian! She'd trick the maid, and then… Lovina smiled, a cold smile. The Spanish bastard would never know what happened.

* * *

Felicia was sitting in a well- upholstered carriage, wringing her new apron nervously in her hands, and thinking anxiously of her dear _sorella_. Lovina had been mean to her in the past (always making fun of a childhood verbal tic; Felicia still tended to say 've' when she was very excited), but Lovi had also protected her too… Just like she was doing now… Felicia bit her lip, unaware of the puzzled look that the German that was sharing the carriage was giving her.

"… _Scusi_?" A stern voice asked in lightly accented Italian. Felicia started, and turned to look at the blonde man. "You seem… worried."

"… You speak Italian and German?" Felicia asked, then quickly fixed her mistake. "I mean, of course you speak German, you're German, so you definitely speak the language, and I know I speak it too, because, well, I'm talking in it right now, and it's a nice language, isn't it," she said quickly, trying to show that she didn't dislike the other language. "But, I really didn't think you'd speak Italian too, or was that just the one word, because maybe you need little phrases, being an ambassador and all, but if you're an ambassador, do you just not have enough time to learn Spanish? It's not that hard of a language- well, it's really close to Italian, so it's easy for me to speak, but-"

"You're rambling," the other man placed a hand over Felicia's mouth, effectively shutting her up. "I am Ludwig Beillschmidt, and yes, I am an ambassador. I can speak rudimentary Spanish, but I am not very fluent. That is why you're here, as a translator. Do you often talk this much?" He sat back, deciding that he had contributed enough to the conversation for now.

"Well, yes, nice to meet you, I'm Felicia, you probably already know that, but you can just call me Feli, I mean, since I'm working for you I don't think you have to be that formal towards me; and yes I do talk a lot, it's too quiet when no one's talking. If you just stand in a town's square and listen, you can hear all these people speaking, and it just sounds so pretty! I love the way it sounds when people talk; that's probably why I almost never shut my own mouth. And what you were saying before, I'm just a little nervous about my sister, Lovi, Lovina is her real name, but Lovi is a cute nickname, isn't it? Oh, ha, I just realized that we both have short nicknames, Felicia, Feli, Lovina, Lovi! That's so cute! Well, she's staying with Antonio and I'm sort of nervous because she can be really rude sometimes, so I wouldn't want her to offend him, even though he was really mean to our _Nonno_…" Felicia trailed off. Ludwig noticed that she looked despondent, and brought the subject around to something he thought she would like talking about.

"So… What is your favorite type of food?"

As the now cheerful Italian started what was soon to be a several hour monologue about pasta, Ludwig couldn't help but think that maybe hiring a translator wouldn't be that bad after all.

* * *

Authoress' Random Ramble

Ok, so to spare you all the long rambles in other languages, only small phrases will be in the actual foreign languages XP

Ludwig and Feli's conversations take place in German (yeah, _Scusi_ means excuse me)

Ahh… Lovi's gonna escape… O.O

Feli is going to have a better time than her sibling; but be warned, she'll have troubles of her own!

Thank you all for reviewing; I think I'm above 50 reviews now! The 100th reviewer will get a scene/event of their choice in the story~~

And to those that don't review, but fav/alert, just know that appreciate that too~

Less than three. Less than three


	8. Set In Motion

It had been a week since the first time Antonio slept in Lovina's bed. The pattern had continued; Lovina falling asleep, then Antonio slipping under the sheets and next to her until the next morning. Neither Antonio nor Lovina tried anything (rape or murder, respectively). Lovina had spent all her free time on her plot; she was getting too comfortable with this life. She needed to get out.

"Hey, Lovina, I brought breakfast!" Gillian practically sang as she entered the room. Lovina was sitting on the bed, running a hand through her tousled hair and glaring half heartedly at the maid.

"…" Lovina held out her hands for the tray, adding the last details to her plan in her mind and acting like she was paying no heed to Gillian's rambling.

"So, see, since I get to go into town to buy food, that means I get to see Matthew! I'm so glad that when Francis- that perverted old cook- came to cook for Tonio he brought Matt along. He's so adorable! See, we're not married yet, but Matt just needs to save up enough money to take care of me- he's so sweet- and then I'll probably need Tonio's blessing- but he'll give it, half the time he forgets I have a beau anyway! Maybe it's just Matt, he remembered that other time some ass was wooing me. But I kicked him in the family jewels, so to speak, and he hasn't bothered me yet. Oh, I'm getting off topic. What I was trying to say is that tomorrow, I get to go meet Matthew again! It's been a while since our last outing together; he's been really busy. He's opening an inn! Isn't that just like Matthew, to open someplace just to help people that need a place to stay and something nice to eat?" Gillian paused, apparently remembering something. "Why, I remember that one Hungarian noble that was being considered for a marriage with Tonio- Elizaveta was her name- that slut said I'd never find someone that loved me! Ha, was she wrong! I bet she's still looking for a husband- not that she'll get one, with her attitude. Hey, Lovina, we're friends, right?" Gillian pouted at Lovina, her red eyes only adding to the eerie face.

"… Why?" _Keep it simple, one word answers. Don't overdo it. Act distan_t.

"Well, she said I'd never have any friends either! So? Are you my friend?" Gillian poked Lovina when she didn't respond, obviously unaware of the fact that some people liked to chew and swallow their food before answering.

"Maybe." Lovina inwardly congratulated herself on the sad look that Gillian sported. All those times helping Feli sneak out to meet _him_ had definitely improved her manipulative tendencies. Oh- fuck. She shouldn't be remembering that; they were both kids, she needed to forget about that before she started worrying about Felicia even more-

"Well, I think that as friends- because I am too awesome to not make friends when I want to- that you and I should go out to market together! Because your caravan has left, so there would really be no place for you to run off to, and while we pick out the food, Matthew can walk with us! I just know you'll like him~! And I probably don't even need to ask Tonio, he has much better things to attend to." Gillian was overflowing with exuberance in a way that made Lovina long for her sister.

But even longing like that wasn't so bad when Lovina realized that her trap had worked perfectly. She had tilted the painting that was on the wall of two girls at market a bit, so Gillian would notice it subconsciously and remember that they were almost running out of food (Lovina had overheard her muttering about it a day or two ago). She had put up with Gillian's rambling, knowing from experience that it would lead to Matthew and going into town. What woman didn't have times when she snuck off to see her man? And when Gillian was going a bit off topic, Lovina had raised a hand to itch her face- her left hand, and she itched with her ring finger. With Gillian's attitude, there must've been someone who had made comments about her chances to marry before! Lovina's guesses had paid off.

She was going to escape. She was going to save Felicia.

* * *

The girl in question, who had no idea that her sister was hell bent on rescuing her at any and all costs, was chatting to Ludwig while the carriage rolled ever onwards.

"And that was when I learned to never _ever_ put a snake in Lovina's bedroll, even if it was really cute and it matched her dress!" Felicia grinned after finishing her tale, beaming even more brightly when it got a smile out of Ludwig. "When do you think we'll get to the next pocket you need to meet?"

"… Pocket?" Ludwig was confused. Was this some type of commoner slang, or was it just Felicia being Felicia (after a week spent in the girl's company, he had a pretty good idea of why Antonio had seemed so grateful when he agreed to take her as a maid/ translator).

"Oh, sorry." Felicia half frowned. "A pocket… It's what we call someone with money. They've got coins in their pockets, and they jingle. That's how you know who's more likely to toss something your way. A rich person. Sort of like you! Except pockets are normally a lot meaner than you are."

Ah. So a bit of Felicia's own dialect, and a bit of commoner slang. Ludwig felt like he was learning an entirely new language. Wasn't there supposed to be some sort of emotional barrier between masters and servants? Well, whatever it was, he wasn't feeling it at all.

"Master Ludwig!" His coach driver sounded panicked; that wasn't good.

"What? What is it?" Ludwig had never heard the driver sound worried before; he was normally stoic and impassive- much like Ludwig himself.

"Bandits!"

* * *

Authoress' Random Ramble

HAHA CLIFFHANGERS I'M SO EVIL

Sorry for updating late night, but I had debate them homework then Hebrew school. And I got 20/20 on my first math quiz of the year! There is a reason I'm on the math team, you know XP

Less than three. Less than three.


	9. Thieves and Kisses

Antonio re-entered the room as Gillian left, noting the maid's cheerful mood suspiciously.

"What, pray tell, were you and Gillian talking about that has her so happy?" Antonio leaned across the doorframe, lean, menacing; like a cat blocking the only exit for the mouse it was playing with. Idly, Lovina wondered if there was ever a time that the mouse managed to evade its hunter, but couldn't think of any.

"Why do you want to know?" Lovina winced internally as soon as the words left her lips; she had spoken out like she used to. It was definitely not the best idea to refuse information to the master of the house, as evidenced by the stinging slap to Lovina's cheek that followed her insolent remark.

"I may not be king, but I rule this castle. I may not be God, but I control your life. You will not refuse my demands; we have a deal, Gypsy." Antonio hissed. He had crossed the room in barely a stride, and grabbed Lovina by her hair, dragging her head upwards. "Understand?" He moved his face closer, until his nose was barely a fingers width away from hers.

Lovina just glared at him, biting her tongue and willing herself not to slap back. She wasn't back with her family, she couldn't be her old stubborn self. She had to stay strong for Felicia; she already had a plan to get away. If she ruined her chance for escape now, there might not be another one.

"Understand?" Antonio's eyes were bright as emeralds, feverish, but his expression was intensely serious. Lovina dared not decide whether he was insane or merely passionate. With him, was there even a difference?

"…_Sì_," she said in Italian, just to spite him. "_Capisco_."

"… Bitch," Antonio whispered huskily, before cupping Lovina's face in his free hand and turning it so his lips met hers briefly, harshly, before she wrenched away. "You're mine. Don't forget that." Antonio reveled in the look of spite Lovina sent him, glorying in the fact that it was him, and only him, that could affect her like this. She was his; she would always be his, no one else had a claim to her. Lovina was _his_ gypsy, _his_ woman, _his _pet. _His_ fiery Italian . He was the only one that could tease her to see how she reacted, kiss her to see how she blushed. And he would exploit that to the fullest. "Just remember- Gillian is a privilege. I can take her away, and then the only person you would see would be me. If that doesn't appeal to you, I suggest you learn to like what you have."

Lovina nodded, eyes still glowing passion- Antonio couldn't decide whether it was hate, love, fury, or something in between. He kissed her once more to figure it out. After all, everything was sweeter when it was stolen.

"Good. I will be back later; I have work to do." Antonio spun around abruptly, closing the door behind him. Only when Lovina heard the lock click did she walk to the exit and smirk.

"I've met Roma boys that are better kissers than you." There was silence, and she wondered if Antonio had even heard her taunt.

"I'll prove you wrong later." Antonio's response was halfway between a threat and a promise, and Lovina realized with a start how used she had gotten to those.

She absentmindedly licked her lips, and sauntered back to the bed to wait for Gillian.

"Who would've thought… The bastard tastes like tomatoes."

* * *

"Bandits!"

Ludwig's shocked eyes met Felicia's, noting the apprehension- not panic, just apprehension- and yelled back to the driver, resolving to stay unfazed even if Felicia seemed to be in denial.

"Can we outrun them? How many are there?" He didn't dare look out the window, for fear that they would see him as a target.

"I don't think we can, sir! Our horses are tired, and they're gaining!"

Ludwig reached under his seat, hefting a broadsword. Even if Felicia had been in his care for less than a month, he was not going to let her die by the hands of thieves at the wayside.

"Sir! They're-" The driver's voice was cut off by a terrible gurgle, and Ludwig slid the curtain the slightest amount to see an arrow protruding from his throat. He allowed himself to doubt his path of action for a brief second, before deciding that Felicia's safety as a woman was more important than his own.

"… Felicia, lift up the cushions you're sitting on. There's a compartment below them, you should be able to fit in there. Stay there and hide, don't come out no matter what you hear." Ludwig swung himself from the now open carriage door to the driver's seat, gently moving the dead man aside and taking the reins from his stiffening hands. "I'm sorry."

He didn't check to see how close the bandits were; just laid his sword across his lap, bent low to avoid arrows, and slapped the reins across the horses' backs.

Ludwig heard the bandits yelling behind him, but didn't pay attention until an arrow lodged itself in his shoulder.

"S_cheiße_," he swore, a small knot of panic beginning to build up in his chest. How could he fight them off? And what would happen to Felicia if he was captured or killed?

"We won't kill you if you give up now!" A voice yelled from somewhere behind his wounded shoulder.

Ludwig weighed his options; give up or fight to the death?

He didn't particularly want to die yet, he had important business in Spain.

Ludwig slowed down the horses, steeling himself for the inevitable.

* * *

Authoress' Random Ramble

scheiße= shit

Capisco= I understand

I put off my homework to write this. I am so dead. Oh, and-

I HAVE FANART I HAVE FANART I HAVE FANART ***dies* **You better copy pasta (yes, intentional) this link right now, remove the spaces, AND TELL HUGGINGLEONARDO (otherwise known on this site as HumanElement) THAT HE IS AMAZING. I am completely serious. The more comments/favs he gets, the longer the next chapter of this story shall be.

Ht tp : / / hugging leonardo . devi ant art . c om /# /d 2yq u6f

When I conquer Antarctica; he shall be my royal portrait maker person. So not kidding. Y'all can be my loyal subjects XD

… and yes, if anyone else does fanart you, too, will get a similar shoutout. And a title at my court (duke, duchess, etc.).

People that review are knights and ladies, and will be allotted however many square meters of the Frozen Wasteland as I see fit. And they make me want to make a longer chapter. WITH KISSES.

Less than three. Less than three.


	10. Escapes and False Hopes

Gillian flounced into Lovina's room, swinging the basket that she used to carry the food.

"Lovina! Tonio's busy somewhere, so we can go out now!" Gillian grinned, pulling a disguised Lovina behind her. Lovina had found a maid's dress that looked exactly like Gillian's, and tied her noticeable auburn hair back with a kerchief. She would go with Gillian, then when the other woman was busy talking to her beau; escape! She had plenty of practice squeezing through crowds in a way that ensured she didn't stand out, like she was just another servant in the crowd. Perfect.

"If you're sure he won't get mad…" Lovina acted hesitant, but was inwardly gleeful. Imagine the look on that bastard's face when he realized that she had slipped through his greedy hands! She was already plotting out what she would do after she had her freedom (A: find Felicia, B: drag Felicia somewhere safe- preferably back to their caravan, or to another one. Their _nonno_ was very well known, so anyone would be happy to take in his granddaughters), and Lovina had no doubts that her plan would work without a hitch. It just had to.

"Oh, Tonio won't even realize you're gone!" Gillian winked, and Lovina felt a twinge of guilt for deceiving the kind maid like this…

But that twinge quickly vanished when she remembered that Gillian supported Antonio wholeheartedly in whatever he did- even if that included burning Lovina's _nonno_ alive. Lovina had to escape, she couldn't live like this. Live with her_ nonno's_ murderers, share a bed with the one that signed his death writ. It was wrong, too wrong; she had to get out. Even if that meant tricking every well-meaning person in Antonio's manor and possibly bashing a few skulls in along the way. Lovina could handle any future repercussions for her actions; she had to be able to. She had to be strong, couldn't let herself fall for Antonio (even if he was charming, dangerous, enticing... evil...), she had to save Felicia, then she would come up with a better plan than simply wandering and trying to find a home. But first she had to be able to escape.

The guilt settled; Lovina had come to terms with what she had to do. Even if, somehow, her plan failed and she was recaptured, she would kill herself. Better to be dead and in hell than living in a worse hell.

Better to be a dead mouse rather than one trapped in a mouse hole.

* * *

When the two got past the other servants and into the market place (thankfully, no one questioned Gillian about her new friend, or the plan might have fallen down around their ears just then), Gillian headed straight to the baker's- where Matthew worked.

"I know you'll think that he's just as wonderful as I've said," she babbled, "but you can't have him. He's mine. You've got Tonio!"

Lovina's mouth stretched in a fake smile, and she stored the bubbling anger in the pit of her stomach, ready to dredge it up again the next time she felt guilty or hesitant about her plot. She did not 'have' Antonio, he 'had' her. But not for much longer. And after that, never again.

They finally got to the bakery, and Gillian shoved past the other throngs of women immediately.

"Matthew! Matthew, Matthew, Matthew!" She yelled, getting some dirty looks from the other women. Apparently this 'Matthew' wasn't a person that only Gillian would find interesting.

A tall, blonde- blonde? He definitely wasn't from anywhere around Spain- man stepped up to the counter, a smear of flour dusting one of his cheeks. "Gillian!" He grinned, and Lovina grudgingly admitted that she could see what Gillian found so charming about Matthew.

"Matt!" Gillian beamed and started talking faster than Lovina had thought was possible, giving Lovina the perfect opportunity to sneak into the crowd. As Gillian chattered about Francis and Antonio and how Elizaveta would be so surprised that they were together, Lovina hardened her heart.

"No turning back now," she whispered to herself, weaving in between the masses of men, women, and children. "There's no turning back now."

* * *

Ludwig winced again as the carriage came to a stop, hoping that Felicia had had enough time to hide. He couldn't let the death of a woman weigh down his conscience- again.

The bandits pulled up beside him, the one with the crossbow had aimed it straight at his chest. It was point blank range; if Ludwig so much as twitched, he would be dead in an instant.

"Give us your money, your jewels, and any women you have with you," one of them sneered, sure that this one nobleman would present no problems. They never did, those weak cowards.

"I will need to get down from the seat," Ludwig said impassively, outwardly showing no emotion. He couldn't let the slightest slip up endanger Felicia. He knew that most other men would have given up any women with them- even their wives or daughters- immediately, wouldn't have even hesitated about giving up a maid. Ludwig was not like most other men.

"Alright. Get down." The bandits muttered among themselves quickly; exchanging insults about stupid foreigners. "Don't try to hide anything."

Ludwig slowly dismounted, then suddenly swung his sword out, slicing the crossbow in half, effectively rendering it useless. He swung the flat of his sword up while they were still bemused, smacking the bow-wielder hard enough on the chin that he fell backwards.

"I am not some weak noble that you can rob," he swung the sword, parrying a hasty swing from the man that seemed like the leader of the group. "I will not give up what is mine simply for fear of my life." He continued to block and attack, driving the less experienced swordsman back.

"But you do not have friends to help you," was the last thing Ludwig heard before he felt a stinging pain on the back of his head, and his vision faded to black.

* * *

When Ludwig awoke, the first thing he heard was Felicia, screaming at the bandits.

"YOU IDIOTS! YOU COULD HAVE KILLED HIM! WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING? IDIOTS, BASTARDS, MANGY FLEA-RIDDEN MAGGOTS!" From what Ludwig could see from his position (sprawled out on the muddy ground), Felicia was directing her insults mainly at the youngest looking member of the group.

"Felicia?" he managed to croak out, before she ran over to him, still obviously furious at the bandits. "I thought I told you not to leave that spot."

"You needed saving," she scowled (looking more like Lovina than herself, although Ludwig didn't make the connection). "Those bastards- I knew them. They'd met with _Nonno _before, that's why I wasn't scared. When they knocked you out, I got out and chastised them."

"I didn't need saving," Ludwig argued weakly. "I was fine."

"Sure," Felicia said patronizingly. "Of course."

Ludwig decided not to argue, seeing as Felicia had apparently convinced the roaming band of thieves not to kill them both.

Apparently.

* * *

Authoress' Random Ramble

*dies* I'm only on chapter TEN, and I have over 100 reviews already? *tears of gratitude* You guys are amazing. Oh, and the one-shot for Human Element for being the 100th reviewer (yes, the one shot is Spamano) will be out… hopefully in a week or so, but I'm really busy and I want to make it perfect. I hope y'all understand *big eyed hopeful face*

Less than three. Less than three.


	11. A Promise Revealed

Lovina's heart rate quickened as her body realized what her mind had decided; adrenaline started moving through her veins. It was only a matter of time until Gillian realized that she was gone; she had to get as far away as possible by that time. Lovina still didn't know where she was going, but figured that getting into the woods and then hiding there would work as well as any other plan. She had hidden some of her clothes at the edge of the forest (some of the other boys in her caravan thought it would be funny to steal her clothes once- after some bruises and a thorough talking-to by Lovina, they changed their opinion. After that, Lovina just saved herself the trouble and buried her own trunk so she'd always have clothes and know where they were.), so she wouldn't have to spend to long in the ridiculous maid uniform.

Lovina wondered just how unobservant Gillian was, to have not noticed her leaving-

"Lovina! Don't wander off like that, I was scared!"

Lovina's stomach curled into a ball as she heard the unmistakable voice of Gillian from behind her. She couldn't just go with her, back to the castle, but she couldn't start running in the middle of a crowded marketplace, either. She could see only one viable course of option. She slipped her foot under a large, round rock in the road, and flicked her ankle so it flew into her hand.

Lovina turned around, and clasped Gillian's face between her two hands- for all the world, two maids having a serious conversation. Lovina looked down; it was too hard to see the look of confusion on Gillian's face as she swung her wrist out and back in, slamming the rock on the back of Gillian's head. Lovina hoped she could still fool a group of village people, or she was dead.

"Help!" She shrieked as Gillian crumpled to the ground; discreetly dropping the rock as she bent down near the albino. "She fainted!"

A crowd started to gather around them, the unconscious maid and the other, hysterical one. They were offering various suggestions, none of which Lovina complied with, as she was too busy pretending to be in hysterics.

"What happened?" A calm voice cut through the crowd, followed by a tall, lean body.

"Matthew!" One of the other women gathered there exclaimed. "Gillian fainted!"

That was all Matthew needed to hear; he gathered Gillian in his arms and started walking back to the castle. Antonio's doctor there would be able to tend to her.

* * *

Lovina followed behind Matthew, apparently trying to calm her sobs. In actuality, she was planning the best way to get away. The path they were on twisted and turned a bit; there was one portion where it was right next to the woods. Lovina decided to slip into the woods as soon as that part came up; hopefully Matthew would be loathe to put down Gillian in order to follow her.

"Was Gillian complaining about anything earlier?" Matthew asked, noting that the other maid's crying had settled down. "I don't think she's the type to faint with no reason."

When Lovina didn't respond right away, Matthew looked over at the girl; suddenly realizing why she seemed so familiar. She had been in the town square weeks earlier, with her caravan. She was the one that danced while her sister sang! The gypsy! Matthew looked at the gypsy again, this time with a different perspective. She looked... determined. It was hidden behind her fragile exterior, but Matthew recognized strength when he found it. This gypsy had a mission, and she looked ready to kill anyone that got in her way-

Gillian!

Matthew shifted her, trying to check the back of her head: there it was! A bump! She had probably been hit with something to make her pass out, hard enough to leave a mark, but not hard enough to cause serious injuries.

He looked at the gypsy again; was she really the type to knock a maid unconscious to get done what she wanted?

But… if she had enough strength to hit Gillian hard enough that she passed out without other people seeing anything amiss, she could have killed her just as easily.

And why was a gypsy in the market with Gillian in the first place?

The pieces of the puzzle fell in place for Matthew as the two of them neared the forest. He turned around so he was facing Lovina, who started and backed up.

"I'm sorry, miss, but I don't know your name," he said, watching Lovina's eyes flicker to all the possible routes of escape. "But I know who you are." At this, Lovina's head snapped up, and golden eyes focused on Matthew's almost lavender ones. "Gillian will be fine with a little rest, and I supposed you could have killed her and saved yourself the trouble of someone who knows where you escaped. But you didn't, and for that I am grateful. I'm going to turn back around, and anything I do not see I can truthfully tell Antonio that I did not witness." Matthew moved so he was facing the path ahead, and began walking.

"_Grazie_," he heard the gypsy say, then he heard the patters of her feet as she ran off into the forest.

The word seemed to echo in the still air.

_Grazie_.

* * *

After Ludwig's pride being severely damaged as Felicia flitted around him, switching from tending to his wounds to reprimanding the bandits, he was bandaged up and the hijackers were upset at being chastised by a woman.

"Ludwig and I are going to leave now," Felicia latched onto Ludwig's arm, as if that would prove a point. "Next time if you're going to try to rob somebody, make it someone that doesn't know you. But you might want to find a different trade; you're not too good at thievery."

"They might not be," a deep voice cut in, "but we certainly are."

Ludwig looked up to see someone that he really didn't want to see- a masked bandit that had gained notoriety in Spain and the surrounding kingdoms.

"Sadiq Adnan," Ludwig sighed. What had he done to make fate hate him so?

"Damn right!" The tall figure grabbed Felicia by the arm and hauled her upright so far that her toes barely touched the ground. "You're Felicia; I knew Marcus, your grandfather. You had another sister right? Lovina?"

When Felicia didn't respond immediately, Sadiq shook her harshly. "Yes or no! Don't lie to me!"

"Yes." Felicia's voice was quiet as she looked at the ground. "Lovina is my sister."

"Excellent." Sadiq grinned. "Now, we're going to go back to the manor- you know which one, the one that Lord Fernandez-Carriedo owns- and then I am going to take what is rightfully mine. Then we'll all be satisfied, no?"

Felicia nodded, and only squeaked a little when she was unceremoniously dumped onto Ludwig's lap.

"What did he mean, 'take what is rightfully mine?" Ludwig whispered in Felicia's ear. He wanted to know what reason was so important to this bandit that he targeted them specifically and only wanted some sister of Felicia's.

"Back when our caravan wasn't as large, and bandits could raid us all the time," Felicia whispered back, "my _nonno _made a deal with Sadiq that if he didn't attack us, and kept others from attacking us, he could have Lovina's hand in marriage when she grew up."

"At least someone got the story right." Sadiq grinned and leaned in, close to Felicia. "Ever since Marcus said that, he's been trying to buy me off with anything, just not his precious granddaughter.

I knew that Lord Fernandez-Carriedo was going after Gypsies with a vengeance; I sent a spy over there and he worked his way into the household. When your caravan showed up, it was only a matter of how fast the spy could convince the brilliant ruler to arrest and burn the old man.

Lovina is mine now."

* * *

Authoress' Random Ramble

Grazie= thank you

Yes, this is late. I could have updated late last night, but then you would've gotten a chapter full of 'ghogavbf' because I fell asleep with my hands on the keyboard. But to make up for it, THE PLOT PICKS UP (and the chapter is longer)!

I know HumanElement's one-shot isn't out; but I hope you enjoyed reading Bonus! instead. Thank you for being so understanding!  
Less than three. Less than three.


	12. Decisions Made

Lovina ran and ran, reveling in the feeling of her muscles stretching as she went further and further into the woods. She'd been locked in her small room for too long, and had forgotten how wonderful it felt to be outside, the wind blowing her hair as she dashed between the trees, heart pounding with something almost like exhilaration, but closer to fear.

She ran for quite a while, eventually finding the tree under which she'd hidden her trunk. It was split down the middle of the trunk by a lightning strike, an easy mark to remember.

Lovina only had to scratch a thin layer of dirt off before her fingers scraped the carved, wooden top of the trunk and she hauled it out of the earth.

She only took underclothes and a thin, simple dress from her trunk, changed, and then reburied it. It wouldn't do to carry all her possessions- few though they were- around with her. She needed to move quickly and travel light if she wanted to escape Antonio and rescue Felicia.

Lovina took a break for a few minutes, sitting beneath the tree and hammering out the details of her plan. The first thing she needed to do was make sure that Antonio wouldn't be able to find her. There was no point to escaping if he just tracked her down and recaptured her.

She headed for the nearest stream; if he got dogs to track her they wouldn't be able to pick up her scent, the running water would confuse them.

Lovina waded through the cold water, heading with the current and thinking through her predicament. She had escaped her possibly insane captor for the time being, and was off on what could turn out to be a suicide mission to get her sister back from a German diplomat; after which they would find the nearest Gypsy caravan and go into hiding. Probably for the rest of their existence.

_"Nonno_ always said that I wouldn't lead an ordinary life," Lovina whispered to herself, smiling coldly.

Once she found Felicia, she'd be alright. Once they were together, she'd be alright. Once _Nonno_ was avenged, she'd be alright. Once she and her twin were back with their people, she'd be alright.

Once she forgot eyes like emeralds, curling brown hair and threats disguised with smiles, she'd be alright. Once she forgot and forgave Antonio, she'd be alright.

Lovina knew she'd never be alright.

And, strangely, that realization didn't seem to bother her as much as she'd thought it would.

* * *

"What do you mean, Lovina escaped?" Antonio's voice was icy, icy like the ninth circle of Hell. It promised things far worse than death, and sent shivers up Matthew's spine.

"I didn't know her name was Lovina, but all Gillian is saying is that some Gypsy girl escaped." Matthew kept his own voice calm, trying in vain to crush the small knot of apprehension in his stomach that insisted Antonio would find out about his betrayal. "Gillian fainted in the market and I carried her back here. We got to the sickbay, she woke up, and the first thing she said was 'she's gone.' I asked her whom she meant, and she started talking about a Gypsy girl. I thought if it was distressing her so, you ought to be notified, so I came to tell you."

"Gillian is an idiot." Antonio was contemplating slamming his head into his desk- or, even better, slamming Gillian's head into his desk. Gillian had ruined everything. "She brought the whore with her to market, and Lovina probably knocked her out and ran for it. Now she's somewhere in the countryside, and the Church will get suspicious if I neglect my duties to attend to something else. Fuck." Antonio stood up suddenly, brushing brusquely past Matthew and heading towards the sickbay. "I need to have a few words with Gillian."

"She wasn't thinking straight," Matthew followed the irate brunette, trying to ease his temper unsuccessfully. "Gillian never thinks straight. You could give her an iron kettle and she would wear it on her head so leaves wouldn't get stuck in her hair. You can't blame someone like her for trusting another person implicitly."

"I can, and I will." Antonio strode into the sickbay, lips curling into a sneer as he saw the albino huddled in a cot. "And the cause of all my problems is sleeping soundly with nary a care in the world. Why am I not surprised. Take care of your woman, Matthew, and send her to me when she awakens." Antonio spun and walked out of the sickbay as abruptly as he entered it. "We have some things we need to discuss."

Antonio went to Lovina's room, and was pacing around the small area. He hadn't realized how tiny the space really was; like a cage he'd kept his Gypsy in. His own little bird in her own little cage. Until someone opened the door and she flew away… Antonio didn't try to wonder why his thoughts always revolved around this Gypsy girl; within a few short weeks of meeting her, she was already the axis around which his life revolved. Maybe it hadn't been coincidence that he'd seen her in the market; had immediately felt such a strong attraction to her. Maybe it had been fate...

Antonio shook of the notion and sat on her bed, lifting one of the still rumpled sheets up to his nose and inhaling the scent that was distinctly _Lovina_. Fate or not, she would always be his. As he breathed in one more time, he vowed that when he got Lovina back, he would never let her go.

Never.

* * *

Sadiq had decided to ride in the carriage with Ludwig and Felicia, claiming that it was more comfortable than his horse's saddle. The driver's body was tossed into the woods, with only Ludwig to mutter a short prayer before his hands were rebound, new horses were hitched to the carriage, and they were off.

The bandits rode in the woods near Sadiq, Ludwig, and Felicia- that way if they spotted any other people, they could use the element of surprise and surround them before they suspected a thing. The prospect of them being bait while the bandits planned robbery- and possibly murder- sickened Ludwig, but he supposed if it preoccupied them (and meant less time for the criminals to think about how to deal with him and Felicia once Sadiq got what he wanted- or, rather, who he wanted) then it was a good thing.

"Has your sister changed?" Sadiq lazily stretched out a leg and nudged Felicia when she didn't respond immediately, then smirked at her squeak. "I asked, has she changed? Did Marcus manage to mold her into a respectable woman- or whatever passed among respectable in your family?"

"Lovi is the furthest thing from respectable," Felicia smiled, looking down at her lap. "She's just as argumentative and violent as she was when she was little."

"I remember that," Sadiq's smirk changed to a grin. "I tried stealing her doll and she bit me, then ran screaming bloody murder when I chased her through the camp. Damn, did she have a pair of lungs! Crazy girl… Was she interested in anyone else?" Sadiq leaned forward, his expression changing rapidly again. "Were there any boys in your caravan- or outside it- that caught her eye? I need to know who I need to kill." Sadiq slipped back into a smirk and a relaxed pose, although Ludwig couldn't help but notice the menacing aura he exuded. The Turk wasn't joking.

"No, Lovi never liked any of the cute boys. She always called them stupid and hit them when they tried to hide her clothes or steal her toys or anything. There were a few that really liked her, but she scared them enough that they just watched her from a distance." Felicia, realizing why Sadiq was asking what he was asking, decided to attempt to be like her sister for once, and try her hand at manipulating people. "Although I think the reason Antonio kidnapped her was because he liked her…" Felicia deliberately let her sentence trail off, implying more. As Sadiq's head snapped up and his eyes narrowed, Felicia decided that Lovina's skill was more useful than she'd thought.

"What do you mean?" Sadiq almost growled, not taking well to the idea of someone else trying to steal what he thought of as his.

"Well, first he killed _Nonno_," Felicia had to bite her lip for a few seconds, holding back tears. It wouldn't do to cry, not now. "And then he arrested me. I think Lovina came to his castle so I could be freed, or at least, that's what she told me. Antonio wanted her, so he used me to get what he wanted. He makes me nervous, though. What if Lovina does something wrong and he gets really mad at her? He could hurt her!" Felicia wasn't sure whether or not her new panic attack was brought on by her acting, or something she would have had anyway.

_Smack! _Sadiq's hand connected with Felicia's cheek, and Ludwig restrained a desire to hit Sadiq himself, remembering that his hands were bound and it probably wouldn't help Felicia anyway.

"Stupid girl," Sadiq frowned. "Your sister is stronger than you are. And if she was weak enough to get herself hurt by Carriedo, then I don't want her anyway. Have some faith in your family- you don't have much else."

With those words, the carriage grew silent as its occupants retreated into their own thoughts, each preparing for what was sure to come.

* * *

Authoress' Random Ramble

I almost forgot about writing this. I haven't updated any of my other fics in the past week (homecoming week from hell), and I was in the middle of writing an essay/speech that's due tomorrow, when I was like: Crap! It's Monday!

…

yeah… So, I really am working on H.E.'s one-shot, I posted Bonus! instead because I felt guilty about not having it finished. But, here I am, 3 months into this fic with over 100 reviews and a whole crapload of amazing people out there that love my story, so I'd just like to thank you all~

If I could bake you all brownies, I would. (Not pot brownies. Normal brownies. I swear. *completely honest face*)

If I haven't responded to your reviews; I'm sorry (haven't had time) and I will soon, but feel free to leave another one *wink wink nudge nudge*

Oh yes, and you all might enjoy this lovely eye candy that Human Element (aka Hugging Leonardo) drew for me (he is one of the awesomest people in the world)~

Ht tp :/ /hugging leonardo. Devianta rt. com/ #/d305s y7

Less than three. Less than three.


	13. Failure

Lovina thought that her escape was going fairly well, all things considered… That is, if you considered waking up five times the first time she tried to sleep with night terrors and constantly having adrenaline running through her veins because she was terrified that the second she turned around she would see those cold, beautiful emerald eyes _right behind her_- well, Lovina's definition of fairly well was different than most peoples'.

Lovina had tried sleeping once, and every time she finally drifted off, she woke up in a cold sweat. She couldn't get the image of the first time she'd seen Antonio out of her mind-

_He stood near her burning father, a small smirk on his face, eyes completely cold, fire glimmering in his pupils. Lovina was still kicking and screaming; part of her mind told her it was too late, the other part said that if she kept yelling, kept fighting, then people would see what was happening and help her save her father- help her kill the man that had signed his death writ.-_

She'd seen that same emotionless, calculating smirk on his face the first time she stepped into his 'office.' He appraised her like a piece of furniture, or a particularly nice portrait to hang on the wall. The only emotion Lovina saw in his eyes then was cold satisfaction. Antonio had gotten what he thought was rightfully his.

"Stop thinking about him" Lovina muttered to herself, kneeling on the bank of a stream and eyeing her haggard reflection. She was already starting to show bags under her eyes, and her hair was an absolute mess. "It will do you no good… and I'm already talking to myself." Lovina shut her eyes and shook her head from side to side, then submerged it in the water. She had finally escaped the Spanish bastard; she didn't need to be spending all her time thinking about him!

* * *

_"She has to be near here somewhere!"_

Oh god, now Lovina was hallucinating too-

"_One of the hounds caught a scent!"_

Lovina's eyes widened, and she hunched over, ready to slip into the stream and hide if the voices got any closer. She definitely wasn't hallucinating. Lovina supposed there was a chance that they were hunting for some other girl in the forest- but that hope was crushed when she heard Antonio's voice mixed in with the rest, urging them to find her.

And she also knew it was a bad thing when her heart jumped a bit at hearing his voice.

Damn it, why couldn't she just keep hating him and stay with that opinion? It would be so much easier that way, without all of her confused emotions and mixed feelings and non-hate in general…

Lovina didn't realize she was muttering to herself until she saw the curious nose of a bloodhound poke through a thicket near her.

"Shhh, good boy-" she whispered, reaching a hand out tentatively to pat the dog on the nose, hoping to curry its favor and keep it quiet-

and then damned that shitty dog to hell when it raised its head and voiced an earsplitting yowl that people in the next province could probably hear, let alone Antonio and his servants barely a clearing over! Leave it to Antonio's dog to be the one animal that didn't love her and listen to her at first sight. Damn bastard.

"Fuck you," Lovina gave the dog a poisonous glare for good measure, before jumping up and into the stream, then sprinting away from where Antonio surely was with his men. There was no way in hell she was getting caught again.

* * *

"The call came from over here!" Antonio's huntsman yelled, running towards the thicket where the hound had last been seen. "I think he's found her!"

"Good," Antonio muttered, steering his horse in that direction. He'd had to lie to his hunting crew; telling them that it was a woman that owed him debt they were chasing not his mistress (if she could even be considered that); and the untruths weighed on his conscience (but, funnily enough, nothing else about capturing Lovina or killing her family or shipping her sister off did). The sooner they caught Lovi- (_no,_ _the gypsy, not Lovina)_, the sooner they caught the gypsy (who was Antonio kidding; she would never be just a gypsy to him), the sooner everything would be over with. "I hope he's found her, or else there'll be one- no, make it _two_ less annoyances to feed."

Antonio watched in satisfaction as his huntsman gulped.

He hoped he'd be able to make Lovina that scared when they found her.

* * *

Lovina was dashing at full speed, her feet barely touching the slippery pebbles before they were up again, splashing water all over and soaking her dress. Her cover had been blown by the hound, she knew that trying to keep quiet would do no good now that the dogs had her scent, and if Lovina looked back she knew she would see Antonio and all the men he'd hired to find her-

"Shit!" Lovina had to jump to clear a rather large rock; she noticed that her stream was turning into more of a river now, so she should really be focusing more on not slipping or tripping than that bastard Antonio who was probably right behind her but no she couldn't look back to check because there was another rock in the river and _jump!_ and keep running and she was breathing hard and her dress was drenched and heavy and it was weighing her down she really couldn't trip if she did she might not be able to get back up again and she had to escape Antonio she couldn't let him get her again, couldn't let him confuse her and toy with her mind and make her feel tingly around him but wait- when did this become about Antonio and not Felicia?

Lovina's momentary distraction proved to be her undoing; her foot caught under another boulder and down she went, into the swirling river.

"DAMN I-" were the last words the irate brunette managed to scream before her head went under and she was sucked into the roiling frenzy. When had the water gotten this violent?

Lovina instinctively curled into a ball, lungs burning for air, but she couldn't risk coming up and hitting her head against a rock. Anyways, she was being tossed around in the water, how would she ever get back up to the surface again? Lovina tried to command her aching limbs to strike out, find something- anything- to grab onto and lift herself out of the water for one last breath of air-

_No, fuck it, I'm not going to die like this!_ Lovina thought furiously, forcing herself out of the water to breathe before she was sucked back under again.

But that was the last breath she was going to get. Lovina got one glimpse of the sky- _and Antonio, looking like he was actually worried, galloping his horse along the bank and he was saying something, yelling something, what was he trying to_- before her head smashed into yet another rock and she lost consciousness.

* * *

Antonio watched in horror as Lovina was submerged, and kicked his horse to get it to go faster. His gypsy was being swept away by the current- and as weak as it seemed, he couldn't bear to lose another woman in his life- no, it wasn't that, it wasn't some silly sentimental reason, it was… just that she was his and he'd gone through a lot to get her so if she died on him now then Antonio would be very put out.

Regardless of the reason, the fact remained that as every second passed with Lovina still underwater, the slimmer the odds were that Antonio would get her back alive.

"Hurry up, you maggots!" He yelled, sparing a second to glare at the men lagging behind him and his horse. "Do you want her death on your hands?" The insult spurred them into running faster, although there was no way they'd be able to catch up with a horse.

_That motivated them_, Antonio thought wryly, before he was distracted by Lovina's face again, popping up from the river. She was alive! _For now,_ a sinister little voice in the back of his head said. Antonio mentally shoved that voice to the side as he saw Lovina's eyes focus on him. He opened his mouth, ready to yell something to her about how he had probably paid for the dress she was wearing and now it was getting all ripped and ruined-

But all that came out was a weak "don't die, Lovina."

Antonio didn't stop to think about how the feelings that were swirling inside him as fiercely as the river were against all the church had ever taught him, he pushed away every part of him that wasn't completely focused on saving the fiery Gypsy that he had surely fallen for, and yelled.

"DON'T DIE ON ME NOW!"

Antonio saw Lovina's head smash against the unforgiving gray surface, and without a moment of hesitation, steered his horse straight into the river- straight to Lovina.

Antonio thanked whoever was watching over him that Lovina had gotten wrapped around the rock and wasn't still being pulled downriver as he leaned dangerously far off his horse to grab her. Antonio swung the unconscious brunette over the front of his saddle and tried to turn his horse around, before realizing that the animal only liked going one direction.

"Go back and cross where it was more shallow, then find me!" Antonio yelled to the men on the other side of the river before he urged the horse to the near bank.

As they got out of the freezing water, Antonio spared a moment to dismount and tie the horse to a branch by its reins before wrapping Lovina in his semi-dry shirt.

Antonio glared at her half-heartedly. "You're more trouble than you're worth," he groaned as he leaned against a tree and gathered the shivering, but thankfully still breathing, gypsy against his chest.

He decided to take a nap as well, figuring that his men would be along soon enough, and that they'd take care of the two of them when they got there.

Antonio just needed some sleep, and maybe a little more time to figure out his situation.

Ok, a lot of time.

* * *

"S-sadiq?" Felicia asked hesitantly, inching a finger over to poke the apparently asleep Turk.

"What?" He growled, opening an eye and lazily appraising the shaking Felicia.

"W-well, I w-was wondering, ve, about Lovina, and, ve, I mean, well, when you find her, if she doesn't want to marry you then, um… What will you… do?" Felicia trailed off; the look in Sadiq's eyes was unnerving.

"She's not going to say no," was his answer, and he closed his eyes again. "She knows that Marcus promised her to me. She'll honor her beloved '_nonno's_' promise."

"But Lovina isn't really one for letting other people make decisions for her." Felicia caught the warning looks Ludwig was giving her and nodded slightly in return; she knew she was treading a dangerous path, but she needed to know as much as possible if she wanted to help her _sorella_.

"If she says no?" Sadiq smirked, using a finger to push up his mask. "Even if she does refuse, I'll make her see sense. Or just drag her off and find one of my people that will marry us anyway. Once she's married, she's mine, and no one like that weakling Carriedo will ever be able to take her away."

Felicia gulped nervously and settled back in her seat, not liking the cold expression on what she could see of Sadiq's face.

_Oh, sorella, you're in trouble,_ she though as she looked out the window. _So, so much trouble._


	14. The Return

When Lovina woke up, the first things that she registered were that she was freezing, and that there was a group of men nearby, talking in hushed voices. Immediately after she opened her eyes to take in her situation, a warm, wet tongue made its way across her face.

Lovina glared at the owner of the offending tongue- the same dog that had given her away when she was trying to escape. Well, fat chance she had of that now- her hands and feet were bound with what looked like strips of cloth that only grew tighter as she tugged at them, and she was tied to a tree with the same material. Shivering and thoroughly annoyed, the gypsy looked up from examining her bonds to see the traitorous hound walk over to an unpleasantly familiar head of brown curls sitting at a small fire a few yards away, and shove its nose under his hand.

"Hmm?" Lovina heard the bastard say. "What is it?"

Lovina knew as soon as she made the wish that it was hopeless; the damn dog was going to tell Antonio that she'd woken. She hoped the bastard would leave her alone, though- she needed time to sort out what she was feeling so she could be properly angry again.

After all, in less than a month the Spanish lord had burnt her_ Nonno_, sent her _sorella_ off to an uncertain fate, separated her from her people, imprisoned her, and… saved her life. For all of her righteous anger, quick wit and sharp intelligence, Lovina could not puzzle out why a small, secret part of her heart was glowing with happiness- happiness at the fact that Antonio had saved her.

Logically, she could make sense of it. The Spanish bastard viewed her as his property; he'd gone through some difficulty to obtain her, and it followed that he wouldn't give her up all too easily. But there was that insistent voice from her thrice-damned heart (damned once for not being able to help _Nonno_, once more for leaving her people, and a final time for allowing any wavering of her feelings towards Antonio) that begged her to reconsider. Of course Antonio would want her back- but to the point where he'd risk what was probably one of his best horses, and possibly his own life, to save her from drowning?

Another voice popped up, prattling about how it was obvious that she would have these odd feelings for the Spaniard; he was the first one who decided to pursue her, albeit in a twisted, malicious way. Before, the hidden glances of longing and bated breaths had been just that- hidden. No one had wanted to get close to her, lest they risk the wrath of her _Nonno_ or the shame of her scorn. But Antonio had seen her, wanted her, and taken what he wanted. While she hated the man, the voice reasoned, she did admire him for taking his horrific initiative. Lovina was not one to harbor affections towards weak-willed men.

Lovina bit her lip hard, hoping that the pain would eliminate the chattering voices and clear her head enough for the inevitable encounter with the Spaniard. She didn't want to hold an argument with the demons inside her skull as well as the ones in reality.

Reminded of his presence, the gypsy looked up, hiding her eyes behind her sopping curls. Antonio was staring straight at her, his eyes unreadable from the distance. When he saw Lovina, his eyes narrowed to angry slits, and then the lord -who, Lovina realized, was probably regretting having saved her- wrenched his gaze away from her, and instead glared deep into the flickering flames of the campfire in front of him.

Lovina tried to swallow a lump that had mysteriously appeared in her throat, and turned her gaze to her knees. Why now, after all that had happened, did she find herself ready to cry? The contemptuous dismissal of the Spaniard cut deeper than she let herself realize, and Lovina felt the first drops of blood seep into her mouth from her bitten lip.

By running away, Lovina realized, she had only reinforced Antonio's beliefs about her people. He saw them as cowards who leeched off of others, then ran at the first sign of trouble. Unfortunately, in a roundabout way -that was undoubtedly Antonio's fault at the core- she had done just that. Lovina knew that any chance of Antonio seeing her as anything more than a Gypsy had probably dissipated as quickly as the water on his horse's coat. And for some strange reason, the same part of her heart that had insisted that Antonio had to feel something for her to save her was now weeping bitterly, mourning what had been lost before it could bloom into something more.

Lovina dug her heels into the slightly damp ground and pushed, shoving herself against the tree at her back. The pain from the rough bark scratching her skin brought some clarity to her thoughts, and she was able to bury the weak part of her that wanted to believe that something could grow between the Spanish bastard and her. He wanted her for her body, and she wanted to get the hell out of his grasp- even if it took death to do so.

Lovina paused her inner turmoil as the dog trotted back over to her tree. She scowled at it, but it just sat and panted, letting its tongue loll out of its mouth as it regarded her with deep brown eyes, its ears swaying slightly. Lovina silently wished any and all misfortune possible upon the dog; if it weren't for the accursed beast, then her escape might have worked.

Lovina forced herself to inhale slowly and exhale slower; an epiphany of sorts had come to her. She had realized that she was not simply thinking of hurting Gillian and running to the hills in the context of saving her sister- it was now all about Antonio. When had it become about Antonio?

Lovina felt a chill sweep through her as she remembered her last shred of a thought the moment before she lost consciousness- not that her sister would be alone from now on, but that at least she had died out of Antonio's greedy hands. The gypsy asked herself the same question over again- when had it all begun to revolve around Antonio?

* * *

Antonio sat by the fire, letting the heat slowly dry his clothing. While he didn't care much for the damp, the Spaniard was too absorbed in his thoughts to mind. He paid no heed to the party of men sitting a respectful distance away from him who were swapping stories and wagers. Antonio had more important things to think about than the doings of those in his employ.

Such as the doings of one Lovina Vargas, currently not in his employ, but taking up just as much -of not more- of his time and resources.

The girl- no, gypsy- the gypsy had injured Gillian and attempted to escape. Antonio was not a fool, and he did not pretend that the thought of her trying to run away had not crossed his mind. For him, it had not been a question of if, but when. The Lovina that he wanted was not weak enough to take the abuse of her family and herself without retaliating in some way. Antonio also knew that the gypsy girl was not stupid enough to lash out at him directly; he had anticipated her coming up with more underhanded plots that led to her freedom. The Spaniard had had his best huntsmen at the ready since he had captured his tomato, and had thankfully been able to retake his prize before she was out of his reach.

Antonio wondered what it was that made all women he cared about seem to loathe the idea of living with him. He had no trouble capturing the attention of young, foolish court girls with his looks and charm, but Antonio also had no interest in them. He had been truly interested in two women in his life- and of the two, both would have rather suffered death than be with him. Antonio knew that he should concentrate on the present -that he would regret it later- but he let his thoughts stray to the first woman he had ever loved- Bella.

Bella had been engaged to Antonio since they had been children; their parents were eager for a strong alliance when it had looked like the old king had been growing weak. If it came to war, both of them wanted allies, and their children were the perfect way to form that bond. But Antonio didn't remember the politics behind their engagement; he remembered her curling blonde hair, her smooth curves, her pleasant face and eagerness to smile. Bella had been a bright light in his dull life, and he had sworn his undying love to the woman.

And then, the night before their wedding, she had been found dead. A snake had its fangs sunk deep into her wrist, and was the precise color of the ribbons Bella had been wearing that day.

Antonio never forgot the sight; sneaking to his fiancé's room to wish her a good night and joy upon the morrow, only to find her servants in an uproar and the apple of his eye spread cold across her bed. The doctors had never agreed on whether it was suicide or murder. The soon to be Lord could not decide which would have been worse- knowing that one of the few people he loved in life would rather die than be with him, or that some sick soul had decided to strip him of the little happiness he had.

After that, Antonio had grown cold, devoting his life to the church and the caretaking of his lands. No one had been able to reawaken the fire within him- until he had seen the gypsy girl, twisting in the streets.

The Spaniard hadn't noticed that while he was wandering the dark pathways of his memory, his eyes had drifted to Lovina. When he came to, he made no effort to move them; instead choosing to observe the girl. She had courage, Antonio admitted to himself, to attempt to escape and almost drown. He almost couldn't blame her for trying; he had done some terrible things to her, her family, and her people.

Antonio ran his tongue along the inside of his teeth, wondering when he had given up Bella's ghost in pursuit of the gypsy girl- for when he had rushed to save her earlier, there was no thought of retribution in his mind. He was completely concentrated on redeeming that one, specific, ultimately worthless life; not hoping that by saving the girl he would atone for his inaction in Bella's case. When had this started? When had Lovina become the sun that rose and set on his days? He could not wish to have even the semblance of a normal life with her; they were too different- and she would never forgive him.

For the first time in a long while, Antonio sent his thoughts up to the heavens, praying for the higher power that he so desperately believe in to have mercy on both him and his tomato.

When she looked up, eyes masked by her hair, Antonio fought to stomp down the small flare of joy in the pit of his stomach. He turned his gaze to the flames instead, seeking solace in a kindred spirit- one that could only cause destruction, no matter how much it aspired to help.

* * *

"Up," a hard voice commanded Lovina, and she awoke from her uneasy rest with a start to see Antonio standing over her. "We are leaving; you are to ride with me. I assure you, any further escape attempts would be unwise." Antonio pulled a knife from his boot-top and slit the cloth that bound Lovina to the tree; then hoisted her up by her arms. Lovina tottered on unsteady feet; pins and needles making their way up her legs. She walked numbly alongside Antonio to his horse, once again lost in her thoughts. Lovina was just beginning to realize the repercussions of her actions, and could barely begin to imagine what Gillian's reaction to her would be. Lovina almost hoped it would be a fiery tongue-lashing; anything was better than Antonio's silence. The gypsy barely noticed it when Antonio helped her into the saddle and swung his coat around her shoulders to quell her shivering in the cool morning air.

Lovina remained quieter than the day she was born for the remainder of the trip back to the mansion, trying to puzzle out what she felt for Antonio and how that would affect her plans for the immediate future. However, no sooner than she had come to an acceptable conclusion, another thought nagged at her mind. It was a vague reminder that she was forgetting something important, something from a long while ago but that was no less vital to the next part of her life.

Lovina mentally stowed the warning away, along with her unresolved debate from the night before. She would have plenty of time to reflect when she was back in her prison, the gypsy decided.

* * *

Felicia had pretended to sleep for much of the journey; it made gathering her thoughts much easier. From what she had learned so far, it seemed that Sadiq intended to go to Lord Antonio's castle, and either challenge him for Lovina or take her by force. Sadiq didn't seem the type to try something underhanded or devious, but Felicia wouldn't put it past him.

The younger sister knew that whatever Sadiq tried, innocent people were bound to get hurt. Well, not necessarily innocent people, but people who didn't deserve to be caught up in a quarrel over her _sorella_.

Felicia knew that she had a brief window of time while the band of thieves would stop close to town to put the finishing touches on their strategy, and she intended to utilize that time to the fullest. She had to get a message to Lovina, or they were all as good as dead.

* * *

Authoress' Random Ramble

Yes, it is I, updating on the one-year anniversary of this fic. If you're mad that not that much happened; this was a chapter for you to get into the minds of the characters, learn a little more about them, and be set up for the action that is finally going to happen next week. Also, that chapter will be one long puppy, so be prepared.

For all of you who are still with this, I would like to extend my never-ending gratitude. If you (understandably) want to know why I haven't updated for months... Well, school sucked the muse right out of me. I didn't want to churn out a chapter per week with no real feeling; I felt that it was better to wait and give you something worth reading rather than post crap.

Also, there is something completely mandatory for anyone reading: check out this fanart, and congratulate these amazing people for spending their valuable time making something wonderful that was inspired by this fic.

Picture one: http(colon)/Morph9(dot)deviantart(dot)com/art/Choose-Me-or-Your-Pyre-204821687

Picture two: http(colon)/lovetema(dot)deviantart(dot)com/gallery/#/d337n29

Picture three: http(colon)/blood-pleasures(dot)deviantart(dot)com/art/Choose-Me-Or-Your-Pyre-fanart-180484636

Video: http(colon)/www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=_cI-H7NZ-Ps

I realize that I have no right to ask for reviews after being gone for so long and leaving you all waiting, but... It would mean the world to me if anyone out there cared enough to drop me a review. I was so happy that we've reached over 200, and I couldn't have done it without my amazing fans. I less than three you all.

Less than three, less than three.


	15. Almost

Antonio decided to respect Lovina's silence on the way back to his residence; he could not be seen initiating a conversation with one lower than him and yet not in his employ, or it would lead to talk. He suspected that his huntsmen already had ideas of his relationship with the gypsy, and Antonio would neither confirm nor deny their thoughts. Besides, it would probably make them relate to him easier, it would make him a more human figure in their eyes, instead of the irreproachable leader he had always seemed. As long as the group didn't gossip, Antonio reasoned, his secret would be fine. He could explain to anyone who saw him returning with Lovina that she was the servant of one of his noble friends, and he had been tasked to find her and return her.

Or, Antonio began to imagine, he could set up a somewhat more elaborate ruse. He could pretend that Lovina was the irresponsible runaway daughter of a noble, and that he was courting her. If he explained it to Lovina, and gave her some rudimentary lessons in etiquette, she would be able to play the part marvelously. She already had the attitude and the looks, and even if she was rude, he could explain that with a small lie about her being an uncared for daughter of a second or third wife (knowing how she grew up, it was probable that it wasn't even a lie). It would explain her presence in the castle, and she would have more freedom that in her cage of a room that Lovina used before.

The more Antonio thought over his plan, the more he began to like it. Lovina would have a moderate amount of independence, she could enjoy the benefits of living somewhere other than a tent, and he would be able to spend as much time with his tomato as possible. While his servants might think it inappropriate, they were all devoted to him, and would be happy to see him finding something to love in life. He would have a talk with the huntsmen to make sure they didn't ruin his plot, and then he would put it in motion. Antonio finished his mental conversation with a decision to inform the men with him now of Lovina's 'background,' and therefore subtly hint to Lovina how she should act when they reached the castle. His tomato was a smart woman, even for a Gypsy, and would surely recognize the benefits of living as a noblewoman.

"Men," at the sound of Antonio's voice, all of his men immediately turned to pay attention; their boss was not one to suffer fools, and did not tolerate disrespect.

"I know that you are probably wondering about the woman we have rescued," Antonio began to explain, choosing his phrasing carefully. He squeezed his legs slightly against Lovina, who was sitting in front of him to warn her to stay silent. "She is the daughter of one of my friends, and she had run away in a rash act. He tracked her to my lands, and then informed me that she was on my property. She will be staying in one of the guest rooms until further accommodations can be made. Should you wish to be informed of more details, I shall be making an announcement to the staff when we reach my residence." Antonio looked over the men riding with him, individually examining each of their faces. They all seemed satisfied with his story, and the lord ventured to guess that it would be enough to convince the rest of his servants.

Antonio prayed it would, because if it did not, he could not see a way that it would end well for him- or his tomato.

* * *

When they finally reached the castle, Lovina was more than ready to get off of Antonio's horse. Not that it wasn't a wonderful horse; it was just that she wasn't sure how much more of sitting next to the Spanish lord she could take. She had tried to maintain some space between them at the beginning of the journey, but quickly realized how futile that was. It was with much muttering under her breath and very little grace that Lovina accepted the other option and leaned back into Antonio's broad chest. To avoid thinking about how warm and comfortable he was, the gypsy spent the time imagining terrible deaths for him to endure, but her heart wasn't really in it. They had nowhere near the flair and horrible amounts of pain that her original plans had had- original as in the ones she had come up with while locked in that prison Antonio called a 'room.'

Lovina grudgingly took Antonio's hand when he offered to help her off the horse; the momentary indignity wasn't as bad as the mortification she would have had to face had she fallen off the large beast. She held her head high, tangled hair and all, as she passed the servants, hoping that they thought the red on her cheeks was from powder and not an effect of being paraded on Antonio's arm.

They walked through the giant front doors and into the entrance hall, and were immediately greeted by the Spaniard's housekeeper, a motherly woman whose name Lovina had neither had the inclination nor time to learn.

"May I take the lady to a room, sir?" The woman asked, curtsying. Lovina was somewhat grateful that she only cast a critical eye over the gypsy's rumpled state, and didn't comment on the oddity of her clothing or the circumstances of her appearance.

"That would be proper," Antonio answered, his mind obviously on something else. "Also, gather the rest of the servants when the lady Lovina is cleansed and dressed. I have an announcement to make about my guest."

"Yes sir," the housekeeper curtsied again, and Lovina barely suppressed a grimace at all the bowing and scraping. "Come with me, lady. My name is Katyusha; I'll get you to a nice room, and then after that we'll draw you a bath and get you properly cleaned up."

Lovina didn't have the chance to protest as her elbow was seized in the housekeeper's iron grip and she was dragged up a flight of stairs she vaguely remembered ascending the first time she had entered the house. She buried the unpleasant memories as far down as she could, and settled for inwardly turning cartwheels at the prospect of a warm bath.

"I'll not ask any questions about your station, miss, nor of how you came to keep company with Milord," Katyusha informed Lovina after she dragged the 'lady' to what seemed to be a specific empty room; judging by the other (perfectly usable, in Lovina's opinion) ones that were passed up. "All I ask is, begging your pardon, that you not cause any more misery to Milord than what he's already been through." Lovina was fixed with a stern eye, which softened as the housekeeper took in the obviously frightened girl. "But I suppose you mean no harm, so let's draw you that bath."  
Lovina perched numbly on the edge of the bed, and wondered how Antonio had managed to attract such loyal servants as Katyusha babbled on about how 'Milord' was 'such a good man,' and how she had some dresses that she was sure 'would fit the lady perfectly, oh, and they're just your color!' Lovina supposed he had at least been a nice person at some point in his life, and that his servants had known him then. If there was some large event in his life that made him bitter, then that would account for what Katyusha said about some past misery, Lovina reasoned.

"Come on, Lady! Your bath is ready!" Katyusha hauled the smaller woman off the bed with surprising strength, and into an adjoining room. "You're lucky that Milord takes good care of his guests," she briskly informed Lovina while peeling the gypsy's clothes off. "He has a bathing tub in each room, and unless you're rude to the maids, they won't dawdle in bringing hot water. Now miss, get in before it cools!"

Lovina wasted no time in sinking into the warm water gratefully, letting the grime of her travels wash away as she ducked her head under the water and shook it to get all of the debris she had accumulated out of her hair.

"My, you've got some lovely locks," Katyusha said approvingly, unconsciously smoothing down her own short hair. "I have just the oil to wash it with, and then they'll be gorgeous."

Lovina wasn't sure how to deal with being attended by the housekeeper, and decided on sinking further into the water, muttering obstinately that she didn't need help to clean herself.

"That may be so, miss," Katyusha seized Lovina's hair and starting vigorously rubbing something nice smelling into it, "but I was told by Milord himself to make sure you were clean, and that's what I intend to do! If you're that independent, you can scrub all that dirt off while I deal with your hair." The housekeeper handed Lovina a small bar of soap, presumably to scrub with, and resumed her previous task- trying to drag a comb through the gypsy's mass of chestnut locks.

Lovina made sure to get as much dirt off as she could while her scalp was being mauled; if Antonio was up to what he thought he was up to, she should at least look the part.

Lovina finished washing before Katyusha finished untangling, and she was content to relax in the pleasantly warm water and ponder her options. She had only gone through a few routes of action (do nothing, and continue to be pampered; try to escape again; do nothing and then escape when she had had her fill of the noble life) when Katyusha pronounced her hair finished, and hurried off to get Lovina's new clothes.

* * *

Lovina marveled at the amount of dirt on the surface of the water, even after she'd had an impromptu bath in the river. The gypsy inwardly allowed for the recognition that living as a noble wouldn't be too bad; she would have a more comfortable life than if she'd escaped and stayed on the run with Felicia.

"Your dress is beautiful, Lady!" Katysha exclaimed as she walked back into the room, waving a fold of the deep green material practically in Lovina's face and effectively distracting the gypsy from her reflections. "I'm sure it will look even better on. I sent your old clothes off to be washed- filthy though they are; I wasn't given any orders to burn them, so you'll have to settle for having them in your trunk but never wearing them again." Lovina didn't even try to interrupt the housekeeper; just accepted the suddenly proffered towel and dried herself quickly.

"I got new undergarments for you too, Lady." Katyusha held up something that, to Lovina, looked suspiciously like petticoats and a corset. "Don't fret, the corset isn't one of those that the court ladies wear to thin their waists; it's just so you're not bare under the dress." She bustled over to Lovina, and was pulling layers of clothing over the poor gypsy's head before Lovina could so much as tell her that for all she cared, corsets could burn in hell. Lovina put up with being dressed like a doll- but resolved to burn the corset in the fireplace in her room as soon as possible. When Katyusha was finally finished mothering her, the large-chested woman put a hand to her mouth and blinked back what seemed like tears. "Oh, Lady, you're lovely!"  
Lovina walked stiffly out of the bathing room and into the main room, and was stopped cold by the woman she saw in the mirror on the wall. The gypsy walked closer, staring at the shimmering reflection. She ran a hair through her tumbling curls and watched the lady in the mirror do the same, and at once realized what her _Nonno_ had been talking about when he told her she'd be a beauty someday.

A woman stared back at Lovina, shiny hair framing a soft, pale face with pink cheeks. Hazel eyes were wide in shock, and rimmed in long, dark lashes. Her lips were red and full, and set in a small frown. A curvy body was accentuated by swathes of emerald silk, and the neckline to the dress was just low enough to be interesting, but not deep enough that too much was showing.

Lovina tentatively reached out a hand to the mirror, and watched the lady's -_her_- eyes start to tear up. The gypsy turned away from her image, at once amazed and disgusted by how she looked. She was beautiful, but it was the court's version of beautiful. It was not how her people would have seen her, tanned and clad in a wild mish-mash of colors and patterns. It was not her- but at the same time, it was.

Before Lovina could internally beat herself any more, Katyusha gently tapped her shoulder and informed her in a quiet voice that Milord had given her instructions to take the lady to the dining hall when she was ready. Lovina nodded (not like she had a choice, the bitter voice inside her hissed- but was still subdued by the memory of the woman in the mirror), and followed the kind housekeeper down the stairs, taking pains not to step on the hem of her dress in her still-bare feet.

* * *

When they entered the hall, Lovina saw Antonio standing at a raised dais at the end, and the servants standing in rows according to rank, facing their master. She held her head high and took tiny steps down the length of the room, ignoring the stares and whispers of the other members of Antonio's household. When Lovina reached the front, she was quickly ushered to stand at the left side of Antonio, and then Katyusha resumed her place in the front row of servants.

"As you can see," Antonio's voice echoed around the hall, and all chattering among the help stopped immediately. "We have a new guest. This is the Lady Lovina; she is the daughter of one of my close friends. She shall be staying here for some time, and you are to treat her as you would treat me, or a woman of my rank. She is not to be harassed in any way; I shall personally select those who are to be attending to her. Lady Lovina has full access to any part of the house, and to the gardens outside. You should do your best to facilitate her wishes, and treat her with respect. Thank you for your time; you may go."

Lovina tried to stay calm as he called out to one white-haired figure in the hall.

"Gillian, you stay." Katyusha was given a nod, presumably to show that she could continue her previous duties and need only attend to Lovina when she was called.

As Lovina's prior maid walked up to the dais, her face was completely blank, and her eyes emotionless. Antonio waited until the last servant had left the room and the thick doors swung shut before addressing the albino.

"Gillian, you are to continue being Lovina's personal maid. When you are done conversing, you will bring her up to my chambers." With that, Antonio spun on his heel and made to leave, but was stopped by Lovina's hand shooting out and grabbing his forearm. He turned around with a vague expression of annoyance on his face, but that was quelled when he saw who was touching him. At the quirk of an eyebrow, Lovina blurted out what she had been waiting to ask.

"Were you telling the truth? I can go anywhere in the house and… I can go outside? I can walk in the gardens?" She had a bit of hope in her face, and as much as a tiny part of Antonio screamed for him to stomp it out, the much larger part of him cooed in adoration.

"I did announce that to the entire household, did I not?" Antonio gently pried Lovina's fingers off of his arm. "If that is all you have to say, I will ask that you excuse me for now. You will be able to talk to me later, if you wish."

Antonio was almost halfway through the hall before Lovina managed to utter a weak "thank you," her voice hanging in the still air. Antonio raised a hand in recognition, then placed it back in his pocket and kept walking.

When he, too, had left, Gillian seized Lovina by the shoulders and shook her.

"Woman, why did you not tell me that you were trying to escape?" Lovina could only stutter her astonishment as Gillian glared at her. "I would've helped you if you wanted to get out that badly; I don't need you here if you're just going to break Tonio's heart."

"I wasn't-" Lovina tried to protest, but was drowned out.

"But it doesn't look like that's going to be happening any time soon, so I forgive you for hitting me with a rock, and I'll be your maid again, now that Tonio's started to turn you into a proper lady." Lovina was indignant at the last comment, but couldn't retort because by that time, the untiring, albino ball of energy was dragging her by the arm and insisting upon seeing the gypsy's new room.

* * *

One exhaustive exploration of Lovina's new living quarters later, Gillian remembered that she was supposed to bring Lovina to Antonio's room, and left to make excuses centering around the premise that Lovina was too tired to see him, telling Lovina in a hushed whisper that it was always best to keep men on their toes. Lovina's futile attempts to explain to Gillian that she wasn't looking to keep Antonio on his toes, and was perfectly fine with him believing she'd forgotten about seeing him, left the gypsy worn out and sprawled across her new bed.

Lovina heaved a sigh, not liking the way the corset restricted her movement. It was almost evening and she supposed that no one except Katyusha or Gillian would be coming into her room anytime soon, so she went to stand by the mirror and tried to undo the back of her dress to remove the damned corset. While it may be 'proper,' and while she did admit that it made her figure more dramatic, Lovina didn't like the sensation of not being able to take deep breaths.

"You know," a deep voice came from behind her when Lovina had her arms twisted awkwardly behind her back, "if you wanted to take that off, you could have asked me."

Lovina whirled around to see Antonio himself, leaning against her wall and smirking.

Ignoring the embarrassment of being caught in such a manner, she decided to bother him about the most pressing inquiry on her mind instead-

"How the hell did you get into my room? I didn't hear the door open, and you said you'd be working!" Antonio strode over to the irate gypsy and stopped her protests with a strong finger against her lips.

"Turn," he commanded, taking hold of her shoulders and moving her so she was facing the mirror again, with her back to his chest. He began expertly undoing the laces of her gown, his smirk changing to a grin as he saw her shocked, speechless expression in the mirror.

"This is an old house," he explained. "There are secret passageways all over, and one of them happens to lead from my quarters to this very room."

Lovina was too preoccupied with the fact that Antonio was unlacing her dress (and by the fact that that grin looked almost natural on his normally solemn face) to throw a fit about the secret passageways. She could feel her breath getting shorter and see her cheeks getting redder as Antonio's large, warm hands made their way further down her back. Her senses were dulled by the fabric of the dress and the corset, but it didn't feel like his fingers were just unlacing.

"You've never been with a man before," he remarked offhandedly, settling his palms on her waist, fingers splayed across her hips, when he was done with the dress' laces. "If you're getting this red just because I'm this close to you."

Lovina shuddered as his breath ghosted across the back of her neck, and ducked her head so she couldn't see her expression in the polished mirror any more. The part of her that was violently protesting the physical contact was quickly beaten down by the strange feeling growing in her chest.

"Answer me," Antonio whispered in her ear, eliciting another shiver from the currently mute gypsy. He easily pulled her back to the bed; Lovina was having trouble ordering her limbs to do anything but not shake at this point. She had made it a point to avoid men, and the first time one of the Roma boys had tried to do anything besides kiss her she had broken one of his fingers and threatened to do more if his hands wandered.

The Spaniard sat on the bed and eased her onto his lap, slipping her flush against his chest and burying his nose in her hair as his hands smoothed the fabric on the tops of her thighs.

"I'm waiting," he reminded her, and Lovina had to swallow a few times before being able to vocalize anything but squeaks. The odd sensation was quickly fogging up her brain, and while she didn't like being so incapacitated, it felt lovely…  
"No, damn it, I haven't!" She snapped, and was suddenly flat on her back, bouncing slightly on the mattress, before she had even registered that Antonio had moved.

"Good," he planted his forearms on either side of Lovina's head and slowly lowered himself so he was completely covering the gypsy, pressing her into the soft blankets. "I'm glad that I get to be your first."  
It took a moment for Lovina's mind to register the words, but when she did, she gasped in shock- and then immediately tried to sink back into the sheets; her face tomato red, as she attempted to erase from her memory how it had felt when her chest pressed against Antonio's.

"Y-you," she stuttered, trying to sound irate, but sounding rather pathetic instead. "Hush!" Lovina finally managed to order, and turned even redder as she realized how childish her 'order' had been. She had forgotten about everything –her previous rules for herself, her resolution to not fall for the man, her _past_- but the fact that there was currently an impossibly attractive Spaniard extremely close to her.

Antonio refrained from mentioning how much like a certain food his Lovina looked as the delicious expression of utter shock played across her face. She was flushed and gasping beneath him, and he wove his fingers into her hair, a feeling clawing at the pit of his stomach like nothing he'd ever felt before- not even close to what he'd felt for Bella.

At her 'hush,' Antonio felt his smile growing even larger; it felt good to be grinning again, and even better to be entangled with Lovina, even if she did look like her face was about to turn crimson because of it.

He decided to listen to what she'd said, even if she hadn't meant for her command to be interpreted the way Antonio took it. In his mind, 'hush' was an excuse to do things that didn't necessarily involve talking, not a request to stop what he was doing.

Antonio dipped his head down further, brushing noses with Lovina, and letting whatever had been troubling him flow away. For a little while, at least, he wanted to believe that they were just them, just a man and a woman, with no other responsibilities, no tangled pasts, and no consequences to worry about. He bent down and kissed her, and everything else disappeared.

* * *

Lovina's head was swirling as Antonio closed those last few centimeters of distance, and kissed her. Deep and passionate and nothing like anything she'd ever felt before… Some snarky part of the gypsy said that Antonio must have taken the comment about her knowing better Roma kissers seriously, and she hadn't realized that she'd said it out loud until Antonio answered it.

"Of course I did," he almost growled, moving from Lovina's mouth to her bare neck. The Spaniard set to leaving a rather large love bite, enjoying Lovina's suppressed noises. "It would not be… _chivalrous_ to leave my woman unsatisfied."

"People are going to be able to see that, you know," Lovina remarked breathily when Antonio was done with her new hickey.

"Wear your hair down again," Antonio responded. "Or, you could simply let it show. I want anyone who desires you to know that you're already claimed."

Lovina had no smart answer for that argument.

* * *

Felicia had been leaning as far out the carriage window as she could; looking for anyone or anything that could help her warn Lovina about the danger she faced. Lovina was the one who normally protected her, and Felicia wanted to do something for her older sister, even if it meant getting smacked by Sadiq again.

"Felicia, are you alright?" Ludwig asked quietly, a small wrinkle between his eyebrows making Felicia squeal internally- he was actually worried for her!

"Ve…" Felicia stalled, not wanting to talk about why she'd been acting oddly in front of Sadiq.

"Are you feeling ill?" Ludwig's wrinkle was getting deeper, and Felicia had to resist the urge to press her thumb to it and smooth it out.  
"Well, ve," Felicia's mind was racing with the options in front of her; she could accept his 'sick' theory and ask to be let out to vomit; she could say she had to relieve herself; she could backhand the imposing Turk like her sister would have by now and then make a dash for it; she could sit still and be quiet until they reached a town where she would have a better chance of meeting a possible messenger…

"Answer the damn question, wench," Sadiq rolled his eyes- or, at least, Felicia thought he did; it was hard to tell through his mask.

"Yes, I'm fine, ve…" Felicia turned around and stared out of the window pensively, worrying about her _sorella_. Now that she'd had a chance to think over her plans, she realized that it really wasn't practical to tell Lovina what Sadiq planned. After all, what would Lovina be able to do? Probably only warn Antonio, and even then, they'd only be able to get ready to fight Sadiq. If they did that, then people would surely be injured- killed, even- on both sides.

Felicia was annoyed –an emotion she was definitely not used to feeling- at the seemingly impossible to resolve situation. Any way she twisted and turned it in her mind, people would die. Neither Antonio nor Sadiq were the type to give up Lovina, and neither would rest while the other had her.

Felicia decided that to minimize the amount of people dying, she'd have to do something that was completely revolting to her- offer to spy for Sadiq, or something of the sort, in order to get into Antonio's mansion and convince him to duel Sadiq for Lovina's hand. This was going to be unpleasant.

She steeled her nerves and swiveled to face Sadiq, scooting closer to Ludwig's comforting solidness for added strength.  
"Saidq?" Felicia started, then continued when she saw that she had gotten the Turk's attention. "How, exactly, do you plan to rescue Lovina?" Felicia wasn't as sharp as her _sorella_, but she knew that she needed to make Sadiq feel good about his plans in order for him to confide them to her.

"I was gonna walk up to the doors and knock all nice-like, then stab the first people to answer, invade the place with my men, kill whoever resisted, kill the rich bastard, grab Lovina, and get the hell out of there before the king's men show up to try an' kill us." Sadiq looked satisfied with his scheme, and grinned at Felicia.  
"Won't some of your men die then?" Felicia posed the question carefully. "Antonio probably has guards; they'd fight back, and they're probably well-trained." She paused while dissatisfaction made its way across Sadiq's face, and then waited for him to make the next move.

Ludwig nudged Felicia when he saw Sadiq pull the curtain on his window to look out, and looked at the girl with wide eyes.

"What are you doing?" He hissed, keeping his voice as quiet as possible.

"Helping," Felicia breathed.

Sadiq turned back to Felicia, a scowl twisting his features. "Do you have some brilliant plan to avoid everyone dying, then? Or did ya just bring this up to make me feel guilty and leave Lovina alone? Because I'm not leavin' her in that bastard's filthy hands, you can be sure of that."

"What I was thinking, ve," Felicia began, swallowing nervously, "is that you could try to have the smallest possible amount of people die by challenging Antonio to single combat- a duel, or something like that, ve. Whoever won would win _Sorella_'s hand, and a lot of your men wouldn't have to die, because it would just be you and Antonio fighting, ve."  
Sadiq ran a thumb across his stubble, pursing his lips in thought. "That might just work, wench."

* * *

"What were you thinking?" Ludwig clenched his fists in the material of his trousers the next time they stopped, when Sadiq had left the carriage to conference with his gang of thugs.

"What do you mean, ve?" Felicia tilted her head and looked at the worried German. "This way, there won't be as many people dying as if Sadiq just stormed the castle like he wanted too. That's a good thing, ve!"

"It's a house, not a castle," Ludwig closed his eyes as if seeking patience from a well from within. "And Sadiq is not a nobleman! He will not abide by the standard rules of dual combat! Antonio is doomed to lose, and then your sister will be practically owned by Sadiq!"

"I… don't understand, ve," Felicia pouted; she'd only been trying to help.

"Sadiq might pretend that he'll follow the rules, but he doesn't have a noble's honor to uphold. If worst comes to worst, he'll have his man who has the crossbow shoot Antonio if it looks like Sadiq's losing! And how do you think his guards will react to a wanted thief asking for a duel with their lord? He'll have to at least kill them to even have a hope of seeing Antonio." Ludwig looked at Felicia when he'd finished his explanation, and was shocked to notice that the girl was almost crying!  
"I, I wasn't trying to hurt Antonio," Felicia sniffed. "I just wanted to help Lovi, ve."

Before he could think differently, Ludwig removed his handkerchief from his pocket and used it to wipe away the tears rolling down Felicia's cheeks.  
"You were trying to help," he acknowledged. "It's not your fault you know nothing of how men like that thief will act."

Felicia would have argued that men like 'that thief' were the people she'd grown up with, but was too distracted by Ludwig's tender gesture.  
It may just have been that they had been stuck in the carriage together for such a long time, but Ludwig was beginning to realize that he was not treating Felicia like a servant; not even like one of the girls his father had decided he court. The German felt something he could only describe as a connection with the teary girl, and resolved to reflect upon it at a later date. For now, he had more pressing matters to attend to.

* * *

Authoress' Random Ramble

Sorry this is a day late; I'm at a really intensive camp and I didn't have enough time yesterday to write it!

That being said, I also don't have the patience to check for errors today, so I'm sorry if any are found.

This all leads up to the big showdown between Sadiq and Antonio next week! Secrets will be revealed, long-lost people will be found, and the winner will get the lovely lady!

It would be nice if y'all could drop me a review about what you think is going to happen/want to happen/must have happen or else you'll stab your eyes out with a fork, or something equally dramatic.

Thank you all so much for putting up with me!

Less than three, less than three


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